Revenue Steady, Attendance Up During Naturals 2016 Season

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals continue to be successful at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale because the community enjoys the product, said general manager Justin Cole.

While revenue has been consistent over the past two years, attendance has increased after falling to its lowest level in 2015.

Since 2009, average attendance has ranged between 4,400 and 4,900 people per game, with the 2015 season in the 4,400 range. By comparison, average attendance in the ballpark’s first season was about 5,200 people per game.

Cole declined to release the team’s revenue, but said about 80 percent of revenue comes from corporate sponsorships and ticket sales. The remainder is received from concessions, team store, parking and other ballpark amenities.

 Rich Products Corp., based in Buffalo, New York, owns the Naturals and oversees sales and operation of the ballpark. The family-owned food company, with $3.5 billion in annual revenue, also operates two other minor league baseball teams: Buffalo Bisons and West Virginia Black Bears.

The Naturals rent the $33 million ballpark from the city of Springdale and operate the facility with 17 full-time staff, eight to 10 seasonal employees and 40 to 65 gameday staff.

The organization paid $362,418 to lease the ballpark, between July 1 and June 30, 2017, said Wyman Morgan, director of finance and administration for Springdale. The team has paid rent, which is adjusted annually based on CPI, in one payment.

The ballpark at 3000 S. 56th St. was designed by HOK Sport, now Populous, and has a capacity of 6,500 people, not including the berm and picnic areas.