Thunder playoff games can mean big money for a changed Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is no longer inexperienced when it comes to hosting the NBA Playoffs, but when it comes to economic impact, visitors will discover an array of new attractions that weren’t present at the last go-around.

The Thunder last made the Western Conference Finals in 2016, and while the team appeared in the first-round playoffs each of the following four seasons, the real money is seen coming in as the team passes from one round to the next.

Anecdotally, hoteliers and restaurateurs know from past experience they will need to staff up for an influx of people wanting to be a part of the playoff excitement.

“Once the schedule is released, the response is almost immediate,” said Jeff Penner, director of the Oklahoma City Hotel Association. “As soon as fans know where the games are being played, they start booking.”

Keith Paul, who continues to operate Republic and Red Prime Steakhouse, was among restaurateurs who reported a significant boost in business when the team faced the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Western Conference Finals.

“Republic did great,” Paul said at the time. “We saw a 20 percent increase year over year because the Thunder kept on playing. At Red Prime we saw the coaches and players throughout the season. And when the Mavericks were playing, we got their players and coaches, and also saw (owner) Mark Cuban.”

NBA Playoffs or not, OKC Thunder has meant good money for OKC

Regular season spending tied to the Thunder is itself big money for Oklahoma City. A study last year by Applied Economics concluded the team generates an estimated annual impact of $590 million in support of more than 3,000 jobs.

The operations at the arena by the Thunder team and staff amounted to an estimated impact of $513 million, directly and indirectly supporting nearly 2,500 jobs and $273.8 million in annual wages, salaries and other labor income every year, according to the study.

The study also reported the arena supports an estimated $45.5 million in yearly visitor spending outside the arena for lodging, food, retail and transportation. That activity also generates an additional $77 million in "induced," or household, spending per year, supporting 795 jobs at local businesses.

More: 2024 NBA playoffs: Complete schedule, bracket breakdown, how to watch

Adam Wisniewski, vice president of sports development at Visit OKC, said he expects increased spending will start this Sunday and will go up the further the team proceeds in the playoffs.

“We’re expecting the impact to be significantly larger than a regular season game,” Wisniewski said. “There is a difference between 8 p.m. Tuesday traffic vs. the first playoff game in five years. It's going to be a fantastic opportunity for the city. There is an entire state that sees this as a team.”

Thunder Vice President Dan Mahoney said fans came from across Oklahoma, and elsewhere, during the regular season. Mahoney said 65% of the teams' ticket sales came from the Oklahoma City area (Oklahoma, Cleveland and Canadian counties). The rest of the sales went to fans in farther reaches of the state and beyond.

More: Back in NBA Playoffs, how is OKC Thunder dealing with time off before Sunday's opener?

What will the impact of the NBA Playoffs be for Oklahoma? It's hard to say exactly

Wisniewski said estimating the impact from the playoffs is complicated due to other events occurring simultaneously, including the annual Festival of the Arts, horse shows at the fairgrounds, Olympic trials at the Oklahoma River and tens of thousands expected to participate in the Oklahoma City National Memorial Marathon.

Those events, he added, will combine with new attractions built since the Thunder last topped the NBA's Western Conference standings. Scissortail Park, which will host a new Thunder Alley celebration, opened in 2022 — long after Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were entertaining raucous playoff crowds in OKC. The same goes for the Oklahoma City Convention Center and several attractions along the Oklahoma River.

Those attractions, in turn, are generating additional events.

“If we make it into May, we will have the Savanah Bananas playing the ballpark,” Wisniewski said. “It's about stacking and compressing these events. When people come to Oklahoma City, we want them to feel this city being full of energy, and as a sports fan to take it all in.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Playoffs, other events expected to boost OKC economy