Will the fans show?

[Frobby]

I doubt it has anything to do with ticket prices. People don't want to go to games on Monday night. The city is dangerous and people don't want to deal with the hassle. Bars and restaurants are usually not crowded on Mondays either. If people want to see the Blue Jays they can go on Wednesday.

Sure -- it's demonstrable that Monday is usually the lowest-attended game of a weekday series. But the fact is, our Monday attendance was lower than that of almost every other team, including teams like Milwaukee that aren't in the race at all. Apples to apples, we are doing terribly.

[schittenden]

You know, the Nats already have 2017 plan pricing on their website. They also make it much easier to share a season plan.

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[weams]

You know, the Nats already have 2017 plan pricing on their website. They also make it much easier to share a season plan.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I guess that is what having a big market will do for you...

[Frobby]

I guess that is what having a big market will do for you...

That sounds like an excuse. By any measure, the front office botched their price increase/season ticket marketing this winter. I'm not saying they need to have 2017 laid out now, but you certainly can't wait as long as the Orioles did last winter. They also botched the timing of Fanfest, which is largely a ticket marketing event.

[Going Underground]

Sure -- it's demonstrable that Monday is usually the lowest-attended game of a weekday series. But the fact is, our Monday attendance was lower than that of almost every other team, including teams like Milwaukee that aren't in the race at all. Apples to apples, we are doing terribly.

And most teams had a ticket special. KC won the World series and look at their ticket specials. They have Hyvee $10.00 Mondays plus other ticket discounts throughout the week and weekends.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/ticketing/fan_value_corner.jsp

Brewers have this place other discounts throughout the week..

http://m.mlb.com/brewers/tickets/info/chance-2-advance

Astros have many ticket promotions

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/value.jsp

[Frobby]

And most teams had a ticket special. KC won the World series and look at their ticket specials. They have Hyvee $10.00 Mondays plus other ticket discounts throughout the week and weekends.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/ticketing/fan_value_corner.jsp

Brewers have this place other discounts throughout the week..

http://m.mlb.com/brewers/tickets/info/chance-2-advance

Astros have many ticket promotions

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/value.jsp

There is a tension between maximizing revenue and maximizing ticket sales -- if you cut prices in half to increase attendance by 30%, you've lost money. At the same time, the front office should be doing what it can to put butts in seats when we are playing a critical series like this one. Last night was embarrassing -- I should know, because I was there!

[Going Underground]

That sounds like an excuse. By any measure, the front office botched their price increase/season ticket marketing this winter. I'm not saying they need to have 2017 laid out now, but you certainly can't wait as long as the Orioles did last winter. They also botched the timing of Fanfest, which is largely a ticket marketing event.

To just willy nilly send out an email and say prices are going up to season ticket holders is not smart. Never said how much but found out when some in the media said an average of 20%. The Oriole reps used to call to see how you are doing during the year. I have never gotten a call and have tickets for many years. The Nationals call at least twice during the year. Not sure if having a winning team made them think people would just show up but the way they treat season ticket holders is not the same as when they were bad.

[Going Underground]

There is a tension between maximizing revenue and maximizing ticket sales -- if you cut prices in half to increase attendance by 30%, you've lost money. At the same time, the front office should be doing what it can to put butts in seats when we are playing a critical series like this one. Last night was embarrassing -- I should know, because I was there!

But those people come and they eat. You make money off the concessions. I don't have a cost analysis of how much they make or lose by having butts in the seats and spending money on food and merchandise. Most teams do it so perhaps profitable. The Orioles do have discounted seats by the way. Hopkins gets discounted seats and Visit Baltimore also. They just don't put it on the website like most teams and the deals are not as good.

http://baltimore.org/info/orioles-ticket-offer

[schittenden]

I guess that is what having a big market will do for you...

I don't see why market size should affect the ability to make decisions. Just imagine, if you had ticket prices set for 2017, you could things like...

Renew your season plan for 2017 now and get...

Tickets to two Sun-Thursday games or one Friday-Saturday game (13 game plans)

Tickets to two Sun-Thursday games and one Friday-Saturday game (29 game plans)

Two food and non-alcoholic drink vouchers (81 game plan)

(seat locations and voucher value vary depending upon season plan cost; tickets subject to availability)

Even if you didn't have plans ready to go you could sell a six-pack of game tickets for $100 redeemable for games of your choice up to a ticket face value of $25, subject to availability, must be exchanged at the box office on the day of the game.

If they wanted to fill more seats, they could. Unless you are replacing paying customers with customers buying at a discount, it is a win-win. Especially when you consider the price of soda, beer, popcorn, hot dogs, etc.

[Phantom]

But those people come and they eat. You make money off the concessions. I don't have a cost analysis of how much they make or lose by having butts in the seats and spending money on food and merchandise. Most teams do it so perhaps profitable. The Orioles do have discounted seats by the way. Hopkins gets discounted seats and Visit Baltimore also. They just don't put it on the website like most teams and the deals are not as good.

The owner of the Nats talked about this when he did a podcast with Bill Simmons. He said that when he bought the team he assumed that it was good business to go so far as to give away the remaining tickets to a game to get people in and generate concession revenue. He was showed the data on such things though, and it turns out that people are actually far less likely to buy things at the stadium if their seats are free or discounted. And it has a negative effect on the people that pay full price both in how they view the organization and their willingness to pay full price again.

[Going Underground]

The owner of the Nats talked about this when he did a podcast with Bill Simmons. He said that when he bought the team he assumed that it was good business to go so far as to give away the remaining tickets to a game to get people in and generate concession revenue. He was showed the data on such things though, and it turns out that people are actually far less likely to buy things at the stadium if their seats are free or discounted. And it has a negative effect on the people that pay full price both in how they view the organization and their willingness to pay full price again.

Thanks. Weird because the Nationals have half price tickets to the upcoming Phils and Braves and have discounts in the Washington Post and online. Also some $99.00 standing room for every remaining game.

[schittenden]

Thanks. Weird because the Nationals have half price tickets to the upcoming Phils and Braves and have discounts in the Washington Post and online. Also some $99.00 standing room for every remaining game.

I was thinking the same thing.

You could always give tickets away to school groups, charities, churches, etc. No one will know how many you gave away in total, and most people won't fault you for giving them to those groups. Hell, you don't even have to give them away... you could offer them $5 tickets and a hot dog voucher. They buy a soda, and bing bang boom... a cheering person in a seat and a profit.

[atomic]

Sure -- it's demonstrable that Monday is usually the lowest-attended game of a weekday series. But the fact is, our Monday attendance was lower than that of almost every other team, including teams like Milwaukee that aren't in the race at all. Apples to apples, we are doing terribly.

Did Milwaukee have a riot last season?

[schittenden]

The owner of the Nats talked about this when he did a podcast with Bill Simmons. He said that when he bought the team he assumed that it was good business to go so far as to give away the remaining tickets to a game to get people in and generate concession revenue. He was showed the data on such things though, and it turns out that people are actually far less likely to buy things at the stadium if their seats are free or discounted. And it has a negative effect on the people that pay full price both in how they view the organization and their willingness to pay full price again.

The Nats currently have:

Seat-y-rita (tickets include a beer or margarita)

Family Packs (tickets include hot dog, chip, and drink)

Bud and Burger (tickets include beer and burger)

Military and Government discount up to 30% off plus a $10 food voucher (includes teachers--given the substantial number of government workers in DC, this is a huge number of people eligible for this discount)

Student, Military, Government, and Senior same-day $5 discount

Pups in the park (6 dates) with discounted human tickets and "tickets" for dogs as a Humane Society fundraiser

They have tons of discounted tickets.

[OFFNY]

Do they still have the game day surcharge?

That pissed me off, and I haven't spontaneously bought a walk-up game of day ticket since.

You would be pissed off if Peter Angelos called you at your house and gave you free lifetime season tickets in the field level, behind home plate.

You would find something.