Flyers, 76ers To Offer All-You-Can Eat Seats For '07-08 Season

Comcast-Spectator is “packaging the cost of food and drink” for upper bowl seats at Flyers and 76ers games at the Wachovia Center starting with the '07-08 seasons, according to Don Muret of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Flyers VP Marketing and & Communication Shawn Tilger said that the 352 seats the Flyers have identified for the program are “some of the last to sell." The seats will cost $66, up from $47.50 last season without food and drink, and will cover the cost of hot dogs, popcorn, chips and salsa and soda. The 76ers are selling 932 all-you-can-eat upper deck seats in the venue’s north end, priced at $27 for season-ticket holders, $28 for groups, and $31 for individuals. All seats in the section for Nuggets-76ers on March 19, which features the return of G Allen Iverson, will be $30 (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/3 issue).

SOUTHERN FRIED: Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) is selling all-you-can eat grandstand tickets for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Bank of America 500 on October 13 (LMS). In Charlotte, Tom Sorensen noted LMS is the first NASCAR track to offer an all-you-can-eat program and called it “a brilliant move.” Seats in the grandstand, made up of three sections overlooking Turn 2, are $59, $79, $89 and $99 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/5).

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Saratoga Race Course's summer meet, "which benefited from six weeks of fabulous weather, was hugely successful," according to Paul Moran of NEWSDAY. Total betting handle surpassed the ’06 total by $34M, with $10M of that wagered on-track by crowds that averaged about 27,000 a day (NEWSDAY, 9/4).

DEL MAR: The first Polytrack season at Del Mar ended with 11 horses euthanized as the result of injuries: six on the Polytrack and five on the turf course.  There were 18 fatalities in '06: 14 on the dirt track and four on the turf. Meanwhile, on-track attendance and handle were up 0.4% and 1.2%, respectively, over ’06 and all-sources handle was up 3.3% on a daily average of $13.9M (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/6). The meet’s total handle was $601,453,672, “second highest in Del Mar history” (L.A. TIMES, 9/6).

ARLINGTON PARK: In Chicago, Megan Twohey reports wagering on races at Arlington Park has risen 15% since last year to $333M as of August 22, the “highest level in several years.” Attendance is expected to reach 800,000 by September 16, up from 655,788 in ’06. Arlington Park oddsmaker Joe Kristufek said, “There’s a new energy here.” Meanwhile, the new Polytrack surface is “winning praise from management, jockeys, trainers and fans." Only 11 horses "have suffered fatal breakdowns” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/2).

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