In the realm of sports, the merchandise makes teams more money than the ticketed gate. According to a Marketwatch.com, Americans spent $100 billion on sports during the calendar year.
Of that $100 billion, $33 billion is spent on sports equipment which includes officially licensed merchandise. For the 2018 calendar year, Fanatics, the online retailer which operates the NHL’s official online store was expected to sell nearly $2 billion alone.
The point being, sports fans, especially Americans, will spend on merchandise. To the cynical fans, alternate jerseys present another opportunity to be hit for more than $200 in one shot.