The Cubs on Friday in invoices to season-ticket holders said that the average price next season is "going up" about 10%, marking the club's highest increase since the Ricketts family's first season with the team in '10, according to Paul Sullivan of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Data from team Marketing report shows the Cubs had the "third-highest average ticket price" in MLB in '15. The "number of marquee games also has been increased from nine to 14 in the bowl and the bleachers, while one section of outfield terrace reserve has been reclassified to corner box reserve" with a 43% increase. Cubs Senior VP/Sales & Partnerships Colin Faulkner said, "We've clearly seen an increase in demand, so that helped factor into an increase in our prices. Our goal is to remain competitive for the long term and provide value to our fans for a competitive baseball team, but also (value) in their tickets." According to the Cubs' numbers, the increases will range from about 7% in the upper box midfield/outfield to 14.5% in upper infield reserve to more than the 38% increase in "some of the newly reclassified terrace boxes." The highest average ticket price, a club infield box, is $105.24 per game, or $118 with the 12% amusement tax added, while the lowest, an upper deck outfield reserve seat, is $20.37, or about $23 with the amusement tax. Bleacher tickets "remain about the same, from $16 to $65 before taxes, though the addition of marquee games will increase the total price" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/15).
COST OF SUCCESS: In Chicago, Bruce Miles noted prices for single-game tickets are "expected to be announced at a later date, but those figure to have similar increases." The Cubs in '15 drew 2,959,812 fans to Wrigley Field, up from 2,652,113 in '14 (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 11/14). ESPN CHICAGO's Jon Greenberg wrote the increase "was expected." Faulkner said, "Nobody likes increases but we're obviously trying to keep our plan of being competitive and having compelling baseball going. We are still providing value for our season-ticket holders. We are mindful that we are generating resources to put toward our baseball operations." Faulkner added that before last offseason, "season-ticket renewal percentage was already the highest it had been in years, in 'the low 90s.'" Faulkner is "expecting that rate to be even higher this winter." Many season-ticket holders "already put money toward their 2016 deposit with unused playoff tickets." Faulkner said that StubHub's internal numbers "showed that Cubs playoff tickets sold for 'three to four times' the face value for the four home playoff games." Greenberg noted during the regular season, there was a 20% "increase for tickets sold." The Cubs also "used their analytics partner, Natural Selection, to rejigger their five-tier pricing structure" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 11/13).
