My experience is that derby does well in the right kind of market.

It does less well in SOME big cities with lots of entertainment options. As
someone else mentioned, the venue costs tend to be very high in your largest
cities. The cost of a place to practice is also higher there. Advertising may
cost more than in a smaller town and will tend to be less effective per-dollar.

I can even think of two or three flat track leagues in larger cities who rent
warehouse space full time because there aren't even rinks available to them. At
that point it's about as expensive as doing banked track derby.

On average, today's leagues draw smaller crowds than leagues in larger cities.
They definitely draw larger crowds per-capita than the big city leagues. And
tend to have it easier getting them in the door. And in finding an affordable
place to practice.

In some cases smaller city leagues can actually outdraw the big city leagues.
Even though on average you'd see a much better product in the bigger towns.

--- In bankedtracknews@yahoogroups.com, "gjdodger" <gjdodger@...> wrote:
>
> First, welcome to the Group's newest member, gigifoulin; thanks for joining.
>
> Now, just food for thought. I have put forth the argument in the past that,
if the "old" Derby were to make a comeback, its best bet would be to follow the
Arena Football model. They located in smaller but still populous cities, and
play only on weekends so their players can hold down other jobs. And they've
had a marvelous 20 year run.
>
> Until now. The Arena Football League is about to declare bankruptcy and go
out of business. And it appears to me there are similarities to the AFL's
decline and that of the old IRDL, which expanded nationwide in the early 70s.
Both ran afoul of runaway costs--in both cases, energy prices went through the
roof--coupled with an economic downturn. The major sports are certainly not
immune to these effects, but so many people have so much at stake in those
ventures that they've become too big to fail. RD, like the AFL, was more akin
to a travelling show; those, too, will simply fold their tents when the money
hemorraging becomes too acute.
>