Lions season-ticket prices "will increase an average" of 8.2% in '14 as they become the NFL's "first team to switch to a variable pricing system," according to John Katzenstein of the DETROIT NEWS. The new ticketing system will "assign each game to one of three pricing categories depending on the anticipated demand." The Lions' two preseason games will be "in the lowest tier and will decrease" about 70% in price. The regular season will be "divided into mid-level games and high-profile games, such as Thanksgiving or primetime games." The "more expensive 'touchdown' games" in '14 are against the Bears, Packers, Saints and either the Bills or Dolphins, "depending on which visits Detroit for Thanksgiving." The mid-level "'field goal' visitors next season" are the Vikings, Buccaneers, Giants and either the Bills or Dolphins. The average price per game "will bump to $83.36" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/28). Lions Dir of Corporate Communications Ben Manges said, "Our fans have been asking for years, ‘Hey, these preseason prices are ridiculous.’ And to be able to right-size those prices, and we’re smart enough to do it now, based on a lot of the data that we’re getting from the secondary market, it makes sense." In Detroit, Dave Birkett notes if any of the "field goal" games are scheduled for primetime, they "will be priced in the 'touchdown' tier for single-game tickets" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/28).
