MLB Cardinals Drawing Well After Planning For Attendance Drop

Cardinals On Pace For 3.3 Million In Attendance This Season Despite Expecting Much Worse

The MLB Cardinals are "on pace for 3.3 million in attendance" this season after bracing for "much worse," according to Derrick Goold of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. The Cardinals are "about to sell their 3.2 millionth ticket," helped by a "blend of the team's contention for a division title, the 80th All-Star Game coming to St. Louis and an aggressive promotion to discount tickets." Cardinals Chair Bill DeWitt Jr. said, "We expect to draw in excess of 3.2 million or even hit 3.3 million. Back in the winter, those numbers looked like a big challenge. ... Good attendance has created the opportunity for us to do some things we couldn't be sure of doing. It meant things had a different look." Cardinals Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Dan Farrell said that when "preparing for a precipitous drop in ticket sales, the Cardinals decided they could be more 'proactive' with their promotion of discount tickets." The club this season has used "more air time on its own broadcasts to pitch ticket packages," and has cut "new radio spots to promote specific events, series and even pitching matchups." The Cardinals also decided to "highlight numerous tickets that they've had for several years but never trumpeted." Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said, "We've always been a little coy about (the discounts). ... We felt in this economy we need to look differently at our discounted (tickets) and needed to be more upfront with them" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/9).