Team by team approaches to MLB ticket prices for next season

Michigan

Uncertain economic times have produced myriad approaches to season-ticket pricing for teams:
Cutting

•Oakland Athletics: Reducing price by average of 5% after suffering an attendance drop-off of 220,000 to 1.68 million.

•San Diego Padres: After attendance fell 232,000 below the previous low, they will cut 25% of season ticket packages, freeze the rest and add 20-game packages in field reserved sections.

•Washington Nationals: Cutting 7,500 seats by $5-$10 a game, mostly in the outfield and the foul lines in the lower bowl; all other seats remain the same.


Freezing

•Arizona Diamondbacks: Freezing or decreasing prices on 76% of season seats; of seats increasing, 72% will incur an increase between $1 to $2.50 a seat.

•Atlanta Braves: The club also introduced a cheaper season ticket for seats along the outfield lines.

•Boston Red Sox: The freeze breaks a streak of 14 consecutive years of increases; the club will still have the highest-priced average ticket — $48.80, according to Team Marketing Report.

•Cincinnati Reds: Regular accounts won't incur any increase, though about 200 premium ticketholders whose contracts have expired face a small increase.

•Houston Astros: Prices might increase for suite- and diamond-level seating, but all others will be frozen for the first time since 2000.

•Pittsburgh Pirates: Also introducing interest-free payment system and four "value-priced" full-season plans.

•San Francisco Giants: Four to five categories stay the same price; 28% of season ticketholders will see a decrease.

•Seattle Mariners: Club President Chuck Armstrong acknowledged "great trepidation over the economy" in telling the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that a price freeze is "a good assumption to make."

•Texas Rangers: Existing season ticketholders who renew by Dec. 17 will not see a price increase. New season ticketholders will pay $1 to $3 more.

•Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers

Increasing

•Chicago White Sox: Seats will increase by $1 or $2.

•Detroit Tigers: Roughly 40% of season tickets will see an increase.

•Florida Marlins: Some season tickets are going up, but early renewers were frozen.

•Kansas City Royals: The average season ticket will increase 9%, from $17.60 to $19.17, in the first year of refurbished Kauffman Stadium.

•Los Angeles Angels: Premium areas might increase up to $15 a seat, but 75% of season tickets will increase $1 or $2.

•Milwaukee Brewers: Most season seats incur a $1 to $2 increase.

•Minnesota Twins: Season tickets will rise from $1 to $3, a prelude to a larger increase for 2010, the first season at Target Field.

•New York Mets: The new Citi Field's top seat will cost $495, a 79% increase, but 31% of the seats will be $25 or less.

•New York Yankees: The club is charging up to $2,500 for seats near home plate in the new ballpark. But COO Lonn Trost notes "24,000-plus seats will have no increase."

•Philadelphia Phillies: Most-desirable field-level seats increasing from $44 to $50; most other seats to rise $1 to $3.

•Tampa Bay Rays: The American League champs will have a slight increase in season tickets.

•St. Louis Cardinals: Freezing 70% of season tickets, with the remainder increasing an average of 1.6%.

To be announced

•Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays

Barndog

San Diego should cut to minor league levels, since it seems that is the team's goal for what it fields next year

Dboneesq

<< <i>Uncertain economic times have produced myriad approaches to season-ticket pricing for teams:

•New York Mets: The new Citi Field's top seat will cost $495, a 79% increase, but 31% of the seats will be $25 or less.

•New York Yankees: The club is charging up to $2,500 for seats near home plate in the new ballpark. But COO Lonn Trost notes "24,000-plus seats will have no increase."
>>



OH, ISN'T IT GREAT TO LIVE IN NEW YORK! Stay Healthy

Doug (yeah, I live on Long Island)

Goot

This SUCKS. The Rays cheapest seats (upper deck) are now $10-$16 for advance sale and $13-$21 for day of game (different prices for different opponents). Two seasons ago they were $5 no matter who they played! Most "regular" game tickets are the same price as last year, but with the addition of "marquee" to go along with the " regular" and "prime" games, there will be fewer cheap games to go to.

Probably sounds like I'm being a crybaby but considering the fact that I'll be a broke college student the next 4-5 years of my life, it sucks. It might even hurt attendance with the economy in the crapper and the bandwagon fanbase that we've accumulated. As long as we put a decent product on the field, I guess it's not TOO bad.......but who knows with the AL bEAST?

Barndog

<< <i>This SUCKS. The Rays cheapest seats (upper deck) are now $10-$16 for advance sale and $13-$21 for day of game (different prices for different opponents). Two seasons ago they were $5 no matter who they played! Most "regular" game tickets are the same price as last year, but with the addition of "marquee" to go along with the " regular" and "prime" games, there will be fewer cheap games to go to.

Probably sounds like I'm being a crybaby but considering the fact that I'll be a broke college student the next 4-5 years of my life, it sucks. It might even hurt attendance with the economy in the crapper and the bandwagon fanbase that we've accumulated. As long as we put a decent product on the field, I guess it's not TOO bad.......but who knows with the AL bEAST? >>



yes, you are being a crybaby. Try to even GET a seat in Boston and you are forced to use the secondary market unless you are lucky with an internet lottery or born into a season ticket. You will pay 1.5 to 3 times face for the tickets in the secondary market. Being able to get a seat cheaply, and on the day of the game no less, is a blessing. Enjoy it as long as it co-exists with your team playing good baseball.

goose3

Cleveland is implementing "Value Pricing" or something BS statement for "We're going to screw you over on the weekends and when the good/popular teams come to town".

I did not renew.

Dboneesq

Goose,

The Mets are already using that pricing structure.

Stay Healthy!

Doug

Goot

<< <i>

yes, you are being a crybaby. Try to even GET a seat in Boston and you are forced to use the secondary market unless you are lucky with an internet lottery or born into a season ticket. You will pay 1.5 to 3 times face for the tickets in the secondary market. Being able to get a seat cheaply, and on the day of the game no less, is a blessing. Enjoy it as long as it co-exists with your team playing good baseball. >>




AHHH, good point.

I'm kinda bummed that I'm gonna have to shell out some more money for tickets, but I guess I'll at least have a seat in the place and that's all that matters to me.

Barndog

<< <i>

<< <i>

yes, you are being a crybaby. Try to even GET a seat in Boston and you are forced to use the secondary market unless you are lucky with an internet lottery or born into a season ticket. You will pay 1.5 to 3 times face for the tickets in the secondary market. Being able to get a seat cheaply, and on the day of the game no less, is a blessing. Enjoy it as long as it co-exists with your team playing good baseball. >>




AHHH, good point.

I'm kinda bummed that I'm gonna have to shell out some more money for tickets, but I guess I'll at least have a seat in the place and that's all that matters to me. >>



positive attitude is a good thing. Many good things going for Rays fans, seat prices and availability are just two of them!

Barndog

<< <i>Cleveland is implementing "Value Pricing" or something BS statement for "We're going to screw you over on the weekends and when the good/popular teams come to town".

I did not renew. >>



but, you will get first crack at playoff tickets!

Goot

megatron

<< <i>To be announced

•Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays >>




HAHA - The Cubs = TBA. Think the pending sale has anything to do with it? Despite the economy, when this team is sold, the new owner will try to squeeze as much out of the organization as possible - especially if the rumored $1B+ fetch price is attained.