Following their first World Series appearance in 15 years, the New York Mets are opening their 2016 season with a slate of results off the field that are just as impressive.
As of last week, full-season and full-season-equivalent ticket sales have doubled, despite a price hike that averaged just under 3 percent. Single-game ticket sales had increased an impressive 25 percent and group sales were up 33 percent.
At the team’s SportsNet New York RSN, sales were pacing slightly ahead of last year, with about 75 percent of inventory sold. That comes after several rate increases that had inventory selling for around 30 percent more than a year ago, according to Brian Erdlen, SNY chief revenue officer.
On the digital media side, SNY has already equaled last year’s sales, with a 50 percent sales increase for the year “attainable,” according to Erdlen.
Team sponsorship sales have yielded a bumper crop, as well. Lou DePaoli, the club’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer, said sales are up 12 percent — which he called easily the best year in sponsorship sales and renewals since the team opened Citi Field, in 2009.
DePaoli said there are more than 34 new team sponsors out of a total of 110. Sales staff was doubled and more activation staff was added, as well.
Coca-Cola replacing Pepsi was easily the team’s biggest sponsor shift in the offseason. The Pepsi Porch at Citi Field was replaced by the Coca-Cola Corner, an unticketed area with Coke-branded games and furniture.
Meanwhile, Budweiser’s large centerfield sign is gone, but Anheuser-Busch is hoping its target millennial crowd will gather at its new Budweiser Landing area in left field.
Indicative of the overall strength of the auto business, Tri-State Ford Dealers are attempting to dominate the fifth inning with media buys on TV and on-field activations. In the middle of the fifth, a Ford vehicle will emerge from the left field gate with a fan inside. That fan will be engaged in a trivia contest during the ride, which will be shown on the scoreboard.
After the fifth inning, characters costumed to resemble four Ford vehicles — a yellow New York taxi, an NYPD cruiser, a black limo, and an FDNY truck — will race, similar to the presidents race in Washington, D.C.
Other new sponsored areas at the ballpark include a Mars-branded area in left field, the M&M’s Sweet Seats, which features signage above the left field wall and will include M&M’s characters dispersed throughout Citi Field to allow for social media photos.
The area taken over by Mars used to be a Party City Deck.
Nikon has increased its spend significantly to include branding on the large centerfield scoreboard sign that had belonged to Budweiser.
Foxwoods has replaced Caesars and will title sponsor the club area formerly branded by Caesars.
Subway is another new sponsor and will take over the branding of the K Board, for strikeouts.
