Hardball Times: Use Ticket Prices to Serve the Audience

[weams]

http://www.hardballtimes.com/how-teams-can-use-ticket-prices-to-serve-the-audience/

"Young people don't buy tickets." Most of us saw our very first baseball game with a family member who bought the ticket for us. So one way for teams to bring more young people into the stands is to sell more family packages, deals that make tickets cheaper for fans who have young children.

[weams]

Teams want to maximize their future sale value, but it will depend entirely on how teams calculate the lifetime value of each of their fans.

Where do you think our organization is on this?

[weams]

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Determinants+of+dynamic+pricing+premiums+in+major+league+baseball.-a0349488469

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02771486

[phaedrusX]

I don't have any kids so I can't claim first-hand experience, but the Dugout Club looks like a fantastic deal for Os fans who want to bring their children out.

[weams]

I don't have any kids so I can't claim first-hand experience, but the Dugout Club looks like a fantastic deal for Os fans who want to bring their children out.

I think it is really dynamic.

[weams]

I don't have any kids so I can't claim first-hand experience, but the Dugout Club looks like a fantastic deal for Os fans who want to bring their children out.

Even the food pricing. It is really a great way to get kids involved.

[CWalston108]

I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I've always though that the O's should do random sales or discounts on the day of the game. Obviously not for every game as fans would then wait to purchase tickets, thus devaluing your product. But I do feel that they should offer a "Buy 1 full price ticket, and children 14 and under are free" or something along those lines on various nights. It gets fans in the stands, sells concessions/souvenirs, and builds the fan base.

I also feel that they should have a "family friendly" section in the park. Perhaps in the upper deck. It would be an alcohol free section, etc. I know a number of NFL teams have sections like this that are more kid friendly.

[VaBird1]

Relative to other teams, I think that the Orioles are a very reasonable price for a family. Last August I took my family of 4 to a game, brought our lunch with us, purchased 2 soft drinks and 2 cotton candies and the total cost was $100 for everything (tickets, parking, food from both in and out of the stadium) plus we got 2 Manny Machado jerseys. We live in VA, so I have considered going to DC to see the Os. $100 would only get us two tickets if we wanted to sit in the same part of Nationals Park, plus we'd need to pay for 4 metro fares, can't take food in, etc. I feel like the Orioles are making a conscious effort to make games accessible to families. And the dugout club is an amazing deal as well.

[BergerKing]

I have visited 20 of the 30 stadiums and I try not to be a homer but in terms of beauty and value its hard to beat Camden Yards... PNC Park is my 2nd favorite based on beauty and value as well. Any place that I can sit behind a dugout within the first 20 rows for $60 or less to me is a good value. Not many stadiums like that around.

[Sanfran327]

Where do you think our organization is on this?

The O's do have very competitive ticket prices, but I think slashing prices on M-Th games or other such incentives would be a good idea. Lowering ticket prices for mid week, non prime games to draw more fans to buy more beer and food would be good for everyone.

[terpspe]

An alcohol free section would be well liked. Dugout Club is a great deal.

[phaedrusX]

Student nights are also a great deal. I haven't been in school since 2001, and I still walk up there with my old student ID and grab a $9 or $10 upper-left reserve ticket a few times a year. That section is often the opposite of family-friendly, but it's another cool thing the team does to encourage fans to come out. These past few years, they may have converted a few out-of-towners going to school here into Oriole fans.