Season tickets for the 49ers' new stadium are "selling like hotcakes," according to a front-page piece by Scott Ostler of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The stadium's most expensive 1,000 seats "will cost $375 per game -- plus $80,000 for a life-of-the-stadium license to buy that one seat." Those 1,000 seats "are nearly sold out." Legends Hospitality VP/Sales & Marketing Al Guido, who is in charge of the 49ers stadium account, said, "It's going extremely well. We're really, really pleased with the reaction of season-ticket holders." Ostler notes that only "the choicest 9,000 of the 68,500 seats have been offered to the current season-ticket holders, and not all of those have been snapped up." Guido said, "Almost 70 percent of the people (who have heard the presentation) have done something, bought club seats or put down a deposit to be placed in line to be able to purchase a reserved seat." However, unhappy fans "are out there." Either they "can't afford the new stadium prices or they believe that 49ers' ownership has upped the ante beyond logic or reason." When asked about fan backlash over the price increase, Guido said, "I certainly empathize and understand that club seats aren't for everyone. ... We've only priced 13 percent of the stadium. The remainder won't go on sale until June. I tell people to reserve judgment on whether they can purchase tickets in the new building. I do believe there will be a price point for every fan" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/18).
IS THIS SEAT TAKEN? In Indianapolis, Mike Chappell notes Colts season tickets will be available "for the first time since 2003." Colts COO Pete Ward confirmed yesterday that "approximately 4,000 could go on sale for the team's upcoming games" at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ward said, "It's not unexpected considering the things that have transpired, going 2-14 and the departure of Peyton (Manning)." The Colts "experienced an 87 percent renewal rate of season-ticket holders which exhausted a waiting list that had hovered around 10,000" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/18).
