Season-Ticket Base, Dynamic Pricing Key To Giants' Financial Success At AT&T Park

The 18 investors who bought the MLB Giants in ‘92 and privately financed AT&T Park have “succeeded financially by maintaining a season-ticket base around 30,000 and by topping the 3 million mark in attendance in 11 of the ballpark's 13 years,” according to David Leon Moore of USA TODAY. Giants President & CEO Larry Baer said that the team’s “break-even mark is about 3.25 million in attendance.” Regular-season attendance this season was 3,377,374, down from 3,387,303 in ‘11. The team “actually had more revenue" this year with the use of dynamic ticket pricing. Baer said, “When we're over 3 million, we're making a little money -- just a little. But that's OK. Our investors would be the happiest people in the world if we won the World Series and broke even.” Moore notes the Giants “hope to increase revenue from their media deal in future years.” In ‘08, they “signed a 25-year cable broadcast deal with Comcast in which the Giants have a 33% ownership stake” in CSN Bay Area. Additionally, AT&T Park is “now the place to be" in S.F. During Sunday's NLCS Game 1, “the vibe was typically giddy and buzzy, not unlike Baton Rouge, La., or Athens, Ga.," on an SEC football Saturday. The crowd of 42,534, the Giants' 165th consecutive home sellout, “waved orange towels and sang along to songs played on the P.A. system.” (USA TODAY, 10/16).

GET UP, STAND UP: The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Jim Carlton noted “some of the most coveted seats" in S.F. for the Cardinals-Giants NLCS are not seats, but are “triple-digit standing room only tickets.” The seated capacity of AT&T Park is 41,915, but the Giants “sell an additional 1,000 postseason tickets for fans allowed into SRO sections.” Including fees, “$100, is the running price on StubHub.” Giants officials said that they hear “few fan complaints about standing room only.” Giants Managing VP/Ticket Sales & Services Russ Stanley said, “It’s actually an interesting way to enjoy the game because you can explore the park and watch the game from many angles” (WSJ.com, 10/15).