The Wizards "will raise many season ticket prices for a third straight year," though about half their tickets "will either not change prices, or increase" by 5% or less, according to Dan Steinberg of the WASHINGTON POST. Monumental Sports & Entertainment "froze ticket prices for three years after obtaining full control" of the team in '11, but the past two seasons "ended in the playoffs." The Wizards "are currently mired in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, and will be fighting just to get into the postseason." Team sources indicated that nearly 40% of Wizards season tickets "will not go up in price next season." Steinberg noted full season-ticket prices "will increase by an average" of about 8%. As in the past, some of the ticket increases "came from dividing up sections into different price points, with seats closer to the court now costing more than the seats behind them." Lower-bowl prices "will increase an average" of 8.8%, with club and upper-bowl prices "increasing by an average" of 6.5% and 6.3% (WASHINGTON POST, 2/26).
CUTTING DOWN THE NETS: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Scott Soshnick cited a source as saying that the Nets "will cut ticket prices" by an average of 24% for '16-17. The discounts "will apply to season tickets for some but not all of the best locations at Barclays Center." Front-row seats "are not going on sale, nor are the $3,500-per-game Hollywood Seats, between the bench and the scorer's table." In addition, floor seats "on the baseline and seats in rows B through D, which cost as much as $1,450 per game this season, will be reduced a blended" 11%. The source added that the arena's more affordable seats "will get bigger discounts." A source said that customers who "have already made multiyear commitments for tickets will also be given the one-year price reduction." The source said that the reduced pricing is "good until July 1" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/26).
I'M GOING MOBILE: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's John Lombardo reports the Heat last week joined the Blazers as the only teams to "begin selling renewals through their mobile app." The Blazers last year had a 95% "full-season-ticket renewal rate," with 80% of the renewals "sold through Blazers.com." Team officials said that the Blazers "expect to hit" the 95% renewal mark again this year, with the "app-based sales now playing a part." The team began its "full-season-ticket renewal efforts in late January." Team officials said that one month into the sales season, 15% of the agreed renewals "have been sold through the app." The Heat's new offering "takes fans from the app to a proprietary customized payment center." As a result, fans in Miami "will be able to complete their renewals full through their phones" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/29 issue).
