MLB Teams Dropping Prices, Offering Incentives For Season Tickets
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Royals Have Introduced Season
Tickets For $400, Or $5 A Game |
In an age of "fallen circumstances and concerns about revenue," MLB teams are "training their attention on a long-overlooked and increasingly endangered species -- those unfailingly loyal fans" who buy season tickets, according to Kevin Helliker of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. MLB teams "in addition to offering lower prices ... are rewarding season-ticket holders with other benefits, such as early entrance to games, access to services that resell unwanted seats, exclusive gatherings with players and team executives, and concierges to address their every need." The Padres are "studying rewards models akin to those used by airlines, including speedier trips through security," and they have "dropped their average season-ticket price 27%." The Royals have "introduced a season ticket for $400, or $5 a game," and the Pirates this year "launched four new season packages covering 36% of the ballpark at an average savings of 25% from last year's season-ticket prices." But the Padres said that their season-ticket sales are "off about 20%," and Tigers season-ticket sales "fell more than 40%." MLB execs "won't comment on national season-ticket figures," but some team execs said that the "league-wide rate of retaining season-ticket holders -- a percentage usually in the mid-80s -- has fallen into the 70s." The Royals, who completed a $250M remodeling of Kauffman Stadium in advance of this season, "expected to retain 90% of [their] season-ticket holders, up from 87% last year." But that number "dropped to 75%." Royals VP/Sales & Marketing Mark Tilson: "I've literally had my customers say it came down to buying the tickets or feeding their families. I told them to feed their families." But Helliker notes long-time season-ticket holders who "bowed out of Kauffman Stadium this year can retain their priority status for 2010 by going to as few as 12 games" this season, and should the Royals make the playoffs, season-ticket holders who did not renew "can reclaim their seats for the post-season by committing to season tickets next year" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/30).
SLIGHT DROP: USA TODAY's Nightengale & Boeck note MLB is "pleased April attendance has declined by only 4.4%, compared with the same number of home games at each park a year ago." MLB Commissioner Bud Selig: "The first three weeks have been encouraging. I think clubs, overall, have been extremely sensitive to the economic environment in this country." According to BaseballReference.com, 19 teams have "seen attendance fall through Tuesday" (USA TODAY, 4/30). In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman notes the Twins' average home attendance through 14 games this season is 23,322, "down from 24,097 last year." Twins President Dave St. Peter: "We are doing better than most clubs" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/30).
BUY A JERSEY, GET A TICKET: The AP reported MLB has a new promotion: "Buy a replica jersey this season and receive two tickets." MLB Manager of Business PR Jeff Heckelman said that 25 of MLB's 30 teams are "participating in the ticket promotion," while the five others, the Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays, are "giving GameTime watches instead of tickets" (AP, 4/29).
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