Ticket Pricing

[Going Underground]

I saw this article in the Post while eating lunch. i know the Oriole media would never do an article like this. Roch would blame the fans. I looked at my Oriole tickets for the Cubs game and it is $62.00 a ticket  All other games left are $41.00 except for the Jays game which is $34.00. No Yankee or Red Sox series left for the weekends I am sure the Oriole series against the Cubs will be different. Weekend series and Cubs don't come to Camden Yards every year. I was wondering if teams get too aggressive with the tier pricing and it backfires at times.

 

This year, the four Cubs games were listed in the preseason pricing structure as “Diamond” games, the highest of four tiers of pricing the Nationals offer. The only other Diamond game on the schedule was Opening Day. Even the annual Fourth of July game, this year against the Mets, is a step down.

That means there were higher prices across the board for the Cubs series. The July 5 game against the Mets, for instance, is in the “Regular” tier of pricing — the lowest. The most expensive seat is $370. A dugout box seat is $90. The cheapest advance-purchase ticket is $12.

But for the Cubs games, the increases were significant. For Thursday’s series finale, the high-end Delta Sky360 Club seat runs $450. The dugout box seats are $140 apiece. And the right-field terrace seat — that cheap ticket that is the price of the movie less than a week from now — is $35.

The smallest game-over-game increase is $18 for seats in the scoreboard pavilion, gallery and upper gallery sections. Those seats, for the Cubs finale, are $40, $50 and $39, respectively. For the July 5 Mets game: $22, $32 and $21, respectively. Seven of the 16 different pricing sections had markups of at least $40 per ticket for the Cubs games.

 

Yet even with all that, it’s still kind of staggering. Tuesday night, Max Scherzer and Jake Arrieta — the National League’s past two Cy Young Award winners — faced each other on a perfect summer evening. And yet a random Tuesday two weeks earlier against the Braves — who bring very few out-of-town fans and have a rather lousy product — drew 560 more fans.

“I’d rather watch it on TV from my couch,” Harper said, deadpanning a bit. “That MLB plan is pretty good. Great coverage.”

By pricing the Cubs tickets the way they did, that’s essentially the message the Nationals sent to their fans.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/06/29/did-the-nationals-price-themselves-out-of-sellouts-for-the-cubs-series/?hpid=hp_local-news_sellout-845am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.ecfde28d15a1

 

[Frobby]

I assume the teams have some smart guys who are well paid to figure out how to price the tickets to maximize revenue, rather than attendance.    With no premium pricing, I'd bet the Cubs would sell out here.   It will be interesting to see how they do.    I was surprised the Cardinals series did not draw larger crowds, but perhaps the pricing was high.   

[MDtransplant757]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I assume the teams have some smart guys who are well paid to figure out how to price the tickets to maximize revenue, rather than attendance.    With no premium pricing, I'd bet the Cubs would sell out here.   It will be interesting to see how they do.    I was surprised the Cardinals series did not draw larger crowds, but perhaps the pricing was high.   

I think it was team play. Teams are bringing up the prices when the Cubs are coming for the same reasons the O's jacked prices on everything when the Yankees, Phillies and Red sox come to town. 

[Going Underground]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I assume the teams have some smart guys who are well paid to figure out how to price the tickets to maximize revenue, rather than attendance.    With no premium pricing, I'd bet the Cubs would sell out here.   It will be interesting to see how they do.    I was surprised the Cardinals series did not draw larger crowds, but perhaps the pricing was high.   

I think my ticket was $52.00 for the Cardinals or something like that. Less then the Cubs but more then the usual games. Plus Cardinal fans did not show up like they thought. Cardinals are not a great team this year.I was a little surprised by the low attendance.

[Frobby]

FWIW, the Cards were here for a weekend series in 2014 and drew 110,000 fans compared to 88,000 this time.    Variable pricing was already being used in 2014, though I don't know if the variation in pricing was as drastic back then.   

[Going Underground]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

FWIW, the Cards were here for a weekend series in 2014 and drew 110,000 fans compared to 88,000 this time.    Variable pricing was already being used in 2014, though I don't know if the variation in pricing was as drastic back then.   

Thanks, Frobby. I think I might still have my season ticket chart from 2014 at home somewhere. . A little anal. Just FWIW. Friday's Cubs game has about 11,000 tickets left. Might get a good walkup due to Student Night. Saturday has a little less then 10,000 left. The lower bowl is mostly gone for both games. Probably scalpers and such. Sunday has tons of tickets all over the field . Lower and Upper. I guess Cub fans might be going home who flew in. Looks like around 18,500 or so left,maybe a little more.

[Going Underground]

12 minutes ago, Frobby said:

FWIW, the Cards were here for a weekend series in 2014 and drew 110,000 fans compared to 88,000 this time.    Variable pricing was already being used in 2014, though I don't know if the variation in pricing was as drastic back then.   

Actually found my 2014 variable price season ticket chart in my desk at work. Don't know what the Cardinals were considered then.

Pricing for my seats were : $27.00 (Value- 6 games) $29.00 (Classic -49 games). $35.00 (Select- 7 games) $44.00 (Prime- 14 games) $56.00 (Elite-5 games).

They moved some of the Classic games over the years. Only 33 this year. Mostly to Select. This  year has 23 . 13 Prime and 5 Elite. 7 Value.

 

[Going Underground]

43 minutes ago, Frobby said:

FWIW, the Cards were here for a weekend series in 2014 and drew 110,000 fans compared to 88,000 this time.    Variable pricing was already being used in 2014, though I don't know if the variation in pricing was as drastic back then.   

Seems like the same this year. August 8 and 10th were Prime games in 2014. August 9th was Elite.. This year ,June 16 and 18th were Prime. June 17th was Elite. I guess games were in August and not June. 

Group ticket pricing from both years. 

http://m.mlb.com/orioles/tickets/info/seating-pricing

http://m.mlb.com/orioles/tickets/info/seating-pricing

[Ohfan67]

I live about two hours from the Astros' stadium and my wife and I thought about catching an Astros game this weekend. We priced tickets a few weeks ago and were blown away. I usually catch one of the O's games in Houston plus one or two non-Orioles games each year. The ticket prices quoted for this coming weekend were almost twice as high as in the recent past. Then I looked closer at the schedule and it's the MF Yankees and it's a premium priced game. I'll be watching the O's on MLB this weekend. 

[Going Underground]

20 minutes ago, Ohfan67 said:

I live about two hours from the Astros' stadium and my wife and I thought about catching an Astros game this weekend. We priced tickets a few weeks ago and were blown away. I usually catch one of the O's games in Houston plus one or two non-Orioles games each year. The ticket prices quoted for this coming weekend were almost twice as high as in the recent past. Then I looked closer at the schedule and it's the MF Yankees and it's a premium priced game. I'll be watching the O's on MLB this weekend. 

All teams do it. Just look at the Orioles against the Tigers in August. Friday is a  Classic game. Saturday is a Prime game. Sunday is a Select game. Saturday is a Prime game because it is a Jonathan Schoop bobblehead. Using group ticket pricing,an Upper deck ticket goes from $14.00 to $24.00. Using C to P pricing. Lower box goes from $34.00 to $53.00.  So you are paying extra for the giveaway. So it is not really a free promotion. It has an upcharge.

[Ohfan67]

2 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

All teams do it. Just look at the Orioles against the Tigers in August. Friday is a  Classic game. Saturday is a Prime game. Sunday is a Select game. Saturday is a Prime game because it is a Jonathan Schoop bobblehead. Using group ticket pricing,an Upper deck ticket goes from $14.00 to $24.00. Using C to P pricing. Lower box goes from $34.00 to $53.00.  So you are paying extra for the giveaway. So it not really a free promotion. It has an upcharge.

I knew there was premium pricing, but I don't think I ever had to pay it. The Orioles - Astros game ticket prices have been great bargains since the Astros joined the AL. I WISH those games had been worthy of a premium price!!  

[Going Underground]

1 hour ago, Ohfan67 said:

I knew there was premium pricing, but I don't think I ever had to pay it. The Orioles - Astros game ticket prices have been great bargains since the Astros joined the AL. I WISH those games had been worthy of a premium price!!  

Go on $1,00 hot dog day.

The scoreboard may have read “Astros 11, Athletics 8” last night at Minute Maid Park. But we know the real final score: “No. of fans in attendance 34,075, hot dogs eaten 36,934.”

Another big win, big crowd, big appetites on “Dollar Dog Night.” Nothing succeeds like success … on the field. The league-leading Astros are 5-1 on Wednesday night home games this year.

Buck hot dogs certainly help bring in the crowds. The Astros are averaging more than 35,000 fans on Wednesday nights. That’s hundreds of thousands of Nolan Ryan all-beef hot dogs gobbled in the stands. Plus the dogs that fans buy in the 9th inning for take-out. I’ve seen fans buy hot dogs by the bunch and stuff them in purses and pockets as they leave the ballpark.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/06-29-17-dollar-hot-dog-nights-are-big-winners-for-houston-astros/?utm_source=sf_twitter#slide=0

[Ohfan67]

30 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

Go on $1,00 hot dog day.

The scoreboard may have read “Astros 11, Athletics 8” last night at Minute Maid Park. But we know the real final score: “No. of fans in attendance 34,075, hot dogs eaten 36,934.”

Another big win, big crowd, big appetites on “Dollar Dog Night.” Nothing succeeds like success … on the field. The league-leading Astros are 5-1 on Wednesday night home games this year.

Buck hot dogs certainly help bring in the crowds. The Astros are averaging more than 35,000 fans on Wednesday nights. That’s hundreds of thousands of Nolan Ryan all-beef hot dogs gobbled in the stands. Plus the dogs that fans buy in the 9th inning for take-out. I’ve seen fans buy hot dogs by the bunch and stuff them in purses and pockets as they leave the ballpark.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/06-29-17-dollar-hot-dog-nights-are-big-winners-for-houston-astros/?utm_source=sf_twitter#slide=0

Those Nolan Ryan dogs are pretty good! ? 

 

I really enjoying going to games there, but I try to hit Day games to avoid getting home at zero dark thirty. 

[Going Underground]

On 6/29/2017 at 1:56 PM, Going Underground said:

Thanks, Frobby. I think I might still have my season ticket chart from 2014 at home somewhere. . A little anal. Just FWIW. Friday's Cubs game has about 11,000 tickets left. Might get a good walkup due to Student Night. Saturday has a little less then 10,000 left. The lower bowl is mostly gone for both games. Probably scalpers and such. Sunday has tons of tickets all over the field . Lower and Upper. I guess Cub fans might be going home who flew in. Looks like around 18,500 or so left,maybe a little more.

34,000 or so yesterday. Looks like about 38,000 tonight.Tomorrow looks about lows 30,000's at best.

[eddie83]

I get the Cubs pricing to an extent. It is the Yankees and Red Sox pricing that floors me. These teams play 9-10 games every single season. If fans are dying to see them and pay more in he process then why isn't attendance higher vs those 2 teams? 

 The Cubs have not played here since 2003, off a title. If Orioles are playing better no doubt better attendance this weekend. That said these pricing tiers hurt raw attendance numbers.