NFC Championship tickets keep University of Phoenix Stadium at number one

The University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the Super Bowl-bound Arizona Cardinals, kept its number one position as the nation’s top venue for the week ending January 19, power scoring an impressive 6.56, according to TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings. The Stadium has owned the leader position for two weeks running due to strong sales for the January 18 NFC match-up between the winning Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, debuts in the number two slot this week with a power score of 4.80. The Stadium rocketed to the top of the list largely because of monster ticket sales for the February 1 Super Bowl XLIII, pitting the Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Stadium will also have a date on the popular Monster Jam Trucks tour in February. It’s all football all the time in this week’s top three, with Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field bolting up four slots to grab the number three spot. On January 18, Heinz Field was the battleground for the AFC Championship Game between its the victorious Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, a game that also holds the number three spot in TicketNews’s Top Sports Events rankings this week. Heinz Field has a power score of 3.44.

Madison Square Garden (MSG) drops slightly this week, landing in the number four spot on our list with a power score of 3.43. The home court to the popular New York Knicks has a notable line up of top-selling artists in its schedule, including The Dead, Rascal Flatts, and the Dave Matthews Band in their first full tour since the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore last August. Next, Reliant Stadium arrives on the list in the number five position. With a power score of 3.03, the Stadium also will host a number of popular shows over the coming months, including the Monster Jam Trucks and WWE tours, AMA Supercross, and Rascal Flatts.

The Gershwin Theatre drops two spots this week, finishing at number six. Broadway’s home to the blockbuster musical Wicked power scores a 2.43. TD Banknorth Garden in Boston drops one to number seven this week. The Garden’s roster of top artists scheduled to perform in the coming months, including Fleetwood Mac and Britney Spears, as well as being home to the well-loved Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins, assures this venue a place in the top ten week after week. TD Banknorth Garden has a power score of 2.25.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA falls two more slots this week to finish in the number eight spot. Power scoring a 1.89, the home court of the Los Angeles Lakers also will see dates in the coming months from Britney Spears and Fleetwood Mac, and it will host two stops on the WWE tour.

The Caesar’s Palace Colosseum in Las Vegas, NV drops one this week to finish at number nine. Strong ticket sales for Bette Midler’s current show at the Colosseum, as well as for upcoming shows like Cher and “Elton John: The Red Piano”, have kept this a top ten venue over recent weeks. The Colosseum power scores a 1.38 this week. Finally, the Beacon Theatre in New York arrives on the list in the number ten slot. With a power score of 1.35, the Beacon will soon host Leonard Cohen, whose show debuts at number ten in TicketNews’Top Concerts rankings this week.

TicketNews Exclusive Rankings and Power Scores are based on ticket sales for venues from the TicketNetwork Exchange™, the world’s largest secondary market exchange. A Power Score illustrates a given venue’s category-specific significance. Two factors are used to calculate a power score: total ticket sales for a venue, and total ticket sales within the category. As such, power scores should only be used to compare venues within a particular category.

Top VenuesWeek Ending 01/18/2009