Season Ticket Prices Going Up

[skanar]

I'm disgusted by the price hike for all the reasons so eloquently articulated above. I still plan to reserve judgment until the end of the offseason, and many of the FAs who have been signed were not guys I was hoping for, but to make an announcement like this right after giving up JJ and not resigning Feldman or McLouth......

That said, I guess I'm the only one not completely opposed to dynamic pricing? I don't get to very many games each year, but the ones I can make it to are often at odd times when I happen to be home from school or something. Though I also wasn't bummed about never going to a Red Sox or Yankees game to hear their fans and pay extra for the privilege. Regardless, I don't see it as an automatic negative, especially if the prices don't fluctuate wildly or on short timescales and are easily accessible (eg online) for any given game at any given time.

Also, with Stubhub and other secondary-ticket markets around, I think dynamic pricing is probably a business necessity in the internet era.

PS, anybody else reminded of this? "Price of the brick going up....."

[video=youtube;aT7TxMaZ4eM]

[SteveA]

No way. They can't possibly be so completely oblivious and inept as to release this info on the same day that two of their players from last year's team sign with other clubs without even getting a formal offer from the Orioles and without any sort of obvious replacement plan in place...

Can they???

The timing of the announcement is probably related to when they have to make these decisions so they can get renewal notices to season ticket holders printed and sent out.

And the part of the organization that is doing that type of work is probably completely independent of the people who are pursuing trades, free agents, etc.

I still hold out hope that they will actually spend some significant money on players this offseason. If they don't... it's going to get very ugly with the fanbase.

[Dipper9]

So very very glad I already paid for mine through my playoff money last October.

[OsLuvrInKy]

Rep owed.

Got him for ya because that is an excellent idea.

[OsLuvrInKy]

Their PR department must have been dropped on their head at birth.

You just missed out on Feldman, Nate McLouth, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, etc. You just traded your 100 save closer over the last 2 seasons for a bag of baseballs. You've done nothing but sign relievers and depth/AAAA players. You just freed up $10 million from Brian Roberts, another $10 million from Jim Johnson. You just received $25 million from the national MLB TV deal.

And you decide in the midst of ALL of this...to make an announcement that you're upping season ticket prices?

Beyond dumb.

I'm borrowing this one to post at SOR. This is a fantastic take on it.

Rep to you sir...:thumbsup1:

[SeaBird]

Baltimore Sun Sports: The Orioles plan to raise season-ticket prices by about 5 percent and expand dynamic pricing.

http://bit.ly/1d7cuuL Txt STOP 2 quit

Well, with all the upgrades and big name FA's they have signed, it's to be expected.

Oh, wait. Never mind.

[TonySoprano]

The Orioles are raising season-ticket prices on all plans by an average of approximately 5 percent, the first increase in cost since 2008, an Orioles spokeswoman confirmed Friday. Season-ticket packages start at $168 for a 13-game plan; 29-game and full-season packages are also available.

Single-game tickets also will be overhauled, changing the way fans will go to the box office and purchase tickets. There will be no more fixed pricing, as the Orioles are instituting single-game dynamic pricing, in which prices fluctuate from day to day depending on the demand for a specific game. This system is similar to purchasing airline tickets.

Dynamic pricing is becoming a growing trend in professional sports. Since the San Francisco Giants became the first Major League Baseball club to intorduce dynamic pricing four years ago, more than a dozen other teams -- big and small market alike -- have followed suit. Teams that use some type of dynamic pricing include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays.

Under dynamic pricing, prices for single-game tickets against popular teams like the division-rival New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox or the regional-rival Washington Nationals likely will rise as the date approaches. Popular promotions, team success, as well as weekend and holiday dates also could prompt a spike in price as the game nears.

source - Baltimore Sun

[bt12483]

So if the pricing is so dynamic prices should likewise fall with low demand right? Or is it a one way street?

[waroriole]

What happened to "Ask the Orioles?" They got a lot of explaining to do.

[Upper Deck John]

While an increase is never welcomed, as a 29 game plan holder, I do like the notion of an expanded exchange option.

We have always had to option to buy extras at the season ticket price.

[TonySoprano]

So if the pricing is so dynamic prices should likewise fall with low demand right? Or is it a one way street?

Nope. It sounds to me like they want you to buy your tickets early otherwise the prices go up closer to the game time. Sure to do wonders for walk-up sales

[ScottP]

No way. They can't possibly be so completely oblivious and inept as to release this info on the same day that two of their players from last year's team sign with other clubs without even getting a formal offer from the Orioles and without any sort of obvious replacement plan in place...

Can they???

[video=youtube;XM4jJc8w4H0]

[Orioles0615]

"Orioles fans expect payroll to rise about 5% and the team to sign dynamic free agents."

That would be the letter I would send back when I got a renewal letter.

I would hope payroll rises more then 5%

[Guest]

I would hope payroll rises more then 5%

Right now the Orioles are 8m below last year payroll.

[Can_of_corn]

Just want to say to folks that are factoring in payroll, I think you should count Johnson at the 6.5 million he made last year not the ~10 million he will make next season.