ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported MSG is the latest entity to "restrict brokers from buying huge lots of season tickets for eventual resale," sending letters Wednesday night to people who "previously held or controlled" more than eight Knicks or Rangers tickets. Unlike other teams, which have "taken away seats from brokers as well as imposed new limits on where fans can sell those seats ... MSG is not eliminating brokers who have eight or fewer seats, nor are they specifying what marketplace they have to sell them in if they choose to do so." Other teams have "taken tickets away from brokers only to resell them to another ticket business or businesses at a premium" (ESPN.com, 3/31).
I'VE GOT A GOLDEN TICKET: The Rams on Thursday announced an "eight-tiered pricing system for season-ticket packages, with premium seats costing as much as $2,025." In L.A., Jack Wang notes the Rams will "email the prices out to the 56,000 people who made $100 deposits earlier this year, with each deposit allowing the purchase of up to eight tickets." Those who submitted deposits "will be able to buy season tickets later in April." A limited number of single-game tickets "will also be available this summer, with prices to be announced" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/1).
NOT A HARD SELL: In Philadelphia, Jane Von Bergen notes despite the 76ers having a league-worst 9-66 record, courtside seats for home games "and the first five rows are, and have been, sold out." 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil said that it "helps to have a marketing-minded coach such as Brett Brown." O'Neil said that Brown was the one who last year "suggested hosting a dinner for the courtside ticketholders." He said that Brown also "volunteered to meet with ticketholders before each game." O'Neil: "I've never worked with a coach that is so in touch with the city and its fan base." The team claims it "has more than doubled its season ticket sale over three years, but it won't say how many it has sold." The team also said that it has the "third-highest season ticket sales in the NBA for the next year and maintains" a 90%-plus renewal rate (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/1).
