Ticket Prices Going Up For Knicks, Rangers; Top Increases Coming In Club Level

MSG Sports sent out invoices to its 28,000 season-ticket holders today announcing the organization will be raising season-ticket prices an average of 49% for the Knicks and 23% for the Rangers for their respective '11-12 seasons. MSG Sports President Scott O'Neil said the arena's four-year, $850M renovation is "the dominant reason for the ticket increase." "I hope there is not sticker shock here," O'Neil said. The lion's share of the price increases are coming at the club level. For Knicks games, 48% of the arena -- 8,623 seats -- will see a price increase of 15% or less. The most expensive floor-level seats would see an increase from $3,000 a game to $3,600 a game. It is the first time the Knicks have raised season-ticket prices in six years. Meanwhile, 72% percent of seats at Rangers games will see a price increase of 10% or less. The top 1% of Rangers seats will see an increase of 198%. Both the Knicks and the Rangers will lose 700 seats in the lower bowl for the '11-12 seasons after construction over the summer. O'Neil said the lost seats were put on hold during the '10-11 season to prevent any season-ticket holders from losing lower-bowl seats. The lost seats would be added with the addition of a bridge during the '13-14 season. Changes to single-game tickets have yet to be announced.