Preds’ Playoff Run Brought Nashville An Estimated $50M In Economic Impact

There’s a new term being floated: the Preds’ Effect.

Butch Spyridon, the head of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, used the phrase during a news conference Thursday to describe how the world became mesmerized by the team and the intense loyalty from Middle Tennessee.

“It paid off in spades for us,” he said.

Spyridon estimated the media coverage and high-profile features about the city of Nashville that aired during game broadcasts were worth several million dollars in exposure.

But a more official estimate focuses specifically on the home games in downtown. Spyridon said the early rounds triggered between $3 million and $5 million in spending per game, and that the Stanley Cup totals were almost unbelievable.

“For the finals: $8 million per game in economic impact. And that’s visitation, watch parties, fans in the building, so it doesn’t count what’s happening in the bars all around the city or the outlying areas,” he said.

All told, he said $50 million is conservative for the playoffs, roughly equal to CMA Fest in recent years.

One outcome from the success will be more charitable giving through the Nashville Predators Foundation. Predators CEO Sean Henry said the franchise reached a new high last year by giving out more than $1 million to community groups.

He said the playoff run brought more money in via donations at the arena, private giving and corporate gifts.

“We have an ability to touch this community in ways that maybe we didn’t think about that many years ago,” Henry said.

Most recently, the foundation presented a $50,000 check to Metro’s preschool enrollment program.