One of the main concerns of the NBA was that Canada lacked sufficient fan support and would not be able to provide enough revenue to continue operation. But as the Raptors enter into their sixth year of operation, fan support and revenue is at an

all-time high. Situated in the recently constructed Air Canada Centre, the Raptors drew an average of 19

, 348 fans a game last season, just 552 short of capacity. By winning games, the Raptors have established a strong and loyal fan base that continues to grow as Canadians gradually learn about the game of basketball. The fan support is not just evident in Canada but has also spread across the border at a frantic pace. Vince Carter of the Raptors has blossomed into one of the leagues brightest young stars and has played a major role in making the Raptors the sixth best road attraction in the NBA. By signing their marquee player to a long-term contract, the Raptors have fortified a team that almost made the Eastern Conference finals last season and increased the value of their franchise. "Signing Vince is going to help us in all areas. Every item in our bottom line will be influenced " said Richard Peddie, president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Raptors and hockey's Toronto Maple Leafs. Forbes magazine, which publishes an annual ranking of pro sports franchises values in North America, estimated the Raptors value at $148 million dollars last November. That figure is projected to increase to as much as $170 million because of Carter's signing and the team's promising future. Even before the presence of a superstar such as Carter, the Raptors have enjoyed consumer success. In only their first month of operation, more than $20 million dollars of Raptors gear was sold and by the end of the season they were seventh in the league in merchandise sales. The purchasing trend has only strengthened over time as fans continue to shell out top bucks at home games. Every conceivable non-seating space in the $265 million dollar Air Canada Centre has been exploited for advertising and entertainment. Raptors tickets currently cost an average of $44.17, about $7 less than the league average of $51.34 but that is steadily changing as the Raptors have announced that ticket prices will increase by an average of 9 percent for the 2001-2002 season. Early projections say that the Raptors could almost double ticket-related revenue to $72 million from $40 million by 2008 with annual 10 percent price increases. With such a hike in ticket prices, one would expect a negative effect in attendance but so far that has not been the case with Raptor fans. For the most part, Canadian fans have shown that they are willing to pay top bucks in order to enjoy a first rate ball club. The Raptors are currently 2nd in the NBA with 1533 season ticket holders, and 1st in the category of subscription renewals with a percentage of 98% among their fans. Their commercial success has also carried over into their television broadcast ratings. Last year NBC's broadcast of game 7 of the Toronto Raptor-Philadelphia 76er series produc

Some common words found in the essay are:
Canada Centre, Toronto Raptors, Compensation Arrangement, Cola Co, Carter Raptors, NBA CANADA, Leafs MLSE, Bulls-Utah Jazz, Vince Carter, Centre Raptors, toronto raptors, fan support, richard peddie, maple leafs, canadian city, nba franchise, nba canada, raptors organization, maple leaf, pension plan board, ticket prices, teachers pension plan, raptors maple leafs, air canada centre, ontario teachers pension,
Approximate Word count = 1845
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)