The Packers will increase ticket prices $3 per seat for the '14 season, the "fifth consecutive year they've raised prices," according to Richard Ryman of the GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE. The new prices will put the team 17th in the NFL, and Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy in a brochure sent to season-ticket holders this week wrote, "Our goal for ticket pricing is to be just below the league average." Last year’s price increase "ranged from $2 to $5 per seat." Ticket prices "didn’t increase" from '07-09, and the Packers "fell to near the bottom of the NFL in ticket prices." That "displeased visiting teams, who receive a third of all ticket revenue." It was "thought that because the Packers sold out every game, they could afford to charge more for tickets." The Packers also indicated that they are considering "a 'pay as we play' invoice option for playoff tickets sold to season-ticket holders." That is in "response to criticism the team received this year when it instituted a no-refund policy." Fans "objected to the policy in place for the 2013 playoff ticket sale, during which the team told season-ticket holders who wanted to buy playoff tickets that it would apply any unused money to the cost of the following year’s season tickets, meaning the team would hold the money for several months." That choice "had been optional previously" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 2/4). In Milwaukee, Tyler Dunne notes the "cheapest ticket is now $77," while the "most expensive is $100." Since '09, seats "between the 20s have increased 38.9%, from $72 to $100." End zone seats "increased 30.5%, from $59 to $77" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/4).
MURPHY'S TAKE: Murphy in a monthly column for PACKERS.com answered fans' questions and addressed the team struggling to sell out its Wild Card game against the 49ers. Murphy wrote, "Shortly after our playoff game against the 49ers, we conducted a survey of our season-ticket holders, people on our waiting list and general fans to determine why we had trouble selling out the game. ... I anticipate that we will make a number of changes and adjustments based on this feedback from our fans, including offering a 'pay as we play' type of option for playoff games. With current available technology, we should be able to use this type of method as an option. ... Finally, in retrospect, I would say that we made a mistake in deciding not to refund the money to fans this year for playoff games not played. We learned from this mistake and will have a better policy in place next year" (PACKERS.com, 2/1).
