Winnipeg Jets fans celebrate int he streets during game one of NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Mike Sudoma)
The final bill is in for the Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties, which saw 120,500 hockey fans pack downtown Winnipeg streets during nine separate events over six weeks this spring.
Economic Development Winnipeg says the parties to cheer on the Winnipeg Jets’ playoff run came at a cost of $2,167,000.
The tab is being shared by True North Sports + Entertainment, which paid a total of $1,084,900, including $931,900 of associated production costs. The City of Winnipeg contributed $153,000 to assist with policing and transit costs. Economic Development Winnipeg paid a total of $120,000, while the remaining $962,000 costs to the City of Winnipeg are being managed within existing council-approved budgets.
“The Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties has elevated our city’s prominence on the map,” said Dayna Spiring, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, Inc.
“From Nashville to New York, and from Las Vegas to Helsinki, people are taking note of Winnipeg, its energy, and its people. This will have a long-term positive impact for our city.”
Organizers say the earned media value for coverage of the parties is approximately $2.2 million, which includes nearly 400 separate news articles and a total news media reach of over 233 million.
