The NFL Panthers on Thursday sent out season-ticket renewal packets for PSL owners, and fans "can once again expect an increase in prices," according to Katherine Peralta of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Payment options "are the same as last year: a six-month, interest-free payment plan or the option to pay in full upfront." Panthers Exec Dir of Ticketing & Sponsorship Phil Youtsey said that all payments "can be made online." He added that ticket prices per game "range from $48-$195." Peralta notes about two-thirds of the stadium "will see an increase in ticket prices by $5-$12 from last year." PSL owners "have around 62,000 seats," making up almost 90% of the stadium. Meanwhile, the Panthers also said that the next phase of renovations at Bank of America Stadium "is on track," with Youtsey adding that the third phase "has begun." This phase includes an "upgrade of the 500-level concourse," as well as an "overhaul of the stadium’s WiFi system" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/19). In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg noted this is the "third consecutive year" the Panthers have raised ticket prices. Team execs said that the price hikes "are reasonable" given the Panthers’ on-field success and investments in stadium renovations. The Panthers have "sold out 137 consecutive games and all but two since BofA Stadium opened" in '96. The price increases "exclude so-called premium areas -- the 11,000 club seats and 153 luxury suites plus several private-membership clubs." Those seats "require a commitment of 9, 12 or 15 years and they include contracts with built-in price escalators of no more than 4% in any single year" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/18).
A DIFFERENT APPROACH: In Milwaukee, Michael Cohen reports the Packers are "adopting a new pricing model for season tickets that ups the cost of regular-season tickets and lessens the price for exhibition games." The two-tiered model, which begins with season tickets for '16, "makes exhibition tickets significantly cheaper than tickets to regular-season games." Exhibition games "will now sell for between $45 and $62." Regular-season tickets "will sell for between $95 and $122." In the past, all tickets "used to be between $80 and $105." The two-tiered model "results in an average price increase of 5%." The Packers believe their average ticket price in '16 "will rank approximately 19th across the league" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/19). In Green Bay, Richard Ryman notes this is the "seventh consecutive season the team raised prices" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 2/19).
