Red Wings Drop Some Upper-Deck Ticket Prices Following Study

Red Wings Decreasing Prices For About 1,900 Upper Deck Seats At Joe Louis Arena

The Red Wings yesterday sent out a mailing to season-ticket holders that announced a "decrease in prices for about 1,900 seats" in Joe Louis Arena's upper deck for the '08-09 season, according to George Sipple of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. The Red Wings hired a ticket inventory strategy company "to help figure out what areas in Joe Louis Arena had not sold season tickets well in the past." As a result, the team lowered prices for "some rows behind the nets" from $54 to $44 and from $44 to $33. The Red Wings also raised prices "on about 400 seats that make up the first three rows behind the glass," though those increases "won't affect season-ticket holders who renew by Aug. 4." Red Wings Senior VP/Business Affairs Steve Violetta said that "about 60[%] of season-ticket holders renewed for the 2008-09 season when they bought playoff tickets last season" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/16). In Detroit, Ted Kulfan notes many of the upper-bowl seats that saw a price decrease went unsold last year "as fans simply went to the next section up and bought $22 tickets." Violetta said that the $9 tickets that "were so popular last season will be available again next season" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/16).