The Raptors have reduced ticket prices by 3% overall
for next season, according to Michael Clarkson of the
TORONTO STAR. In addition, the team will "improve" many
seat locations to make SkyDome "more fan friendly." The
changes come "partly" because research showed that fans
"believe the SkyDome is less suited to fan viewing for
basketball than it is for baseball." Prices for the most
expensive seats will increase more than 5% next season, but
all other seats will drop from 7.69-21%. The Raptors are
condensing seating in the upper bowl and moving more fans
toward the center of the court to create a "more intimate
seating." The changes will reduce capacity for basketball
for most games to 20,126 from about 25,000 (TORONTO STAR,
5/21). The team averaged 18,267 in home attendance for the
'96-97 season, with four home games played outside SkyDome
(THE DAILY). A report in the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL says that
the Raptors' price reductions are for five of their eight
season-ticket packages and that they "are looking at
reducing individual game tickets, but haven't made any firm
decisions yet as to how much" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/21).
