The Blue Jays yesterday announced that season-ticket prices "are rising" an average of 9% next year "for early-bird renewals as part of a wide-scale matrix restructuring," according to Shi Davidi of SPORTSNET.ca. The '17 home schedule "will be split into a new five-category pricing system ... replacing the old premium/regular designations." The Rogers Centre’s seating plan "has also been rescaled." Unlike the price hikes that followed the '14 and '15 seasons, the new increases "won’t be across-the-board, as the cost for an 81-game subscription will rise in some areas of the dome, and stay flat in others." Still, season-ticket holders who renew during the early period -- which started yesterday and runs through Sept. 8 -- "will see the cost of tickets for 54 games rising" an average of 13%, and for the remaining 27 games dropping 7%. Blue Jays Exec VP/Business Operations Andrew Miller said, “It’s acknowledging that 81 games are not equal" (SPORTSNET.ca, 8/15). In Toronto, Ryan Wolstat noted the club is "rewarding current season seat holders who are willing to renew quickly." They can "save up to 20%" on '17 during the early renewal period. New season seats "will go on sale on Aug. 24" and existing seats "will be reserved until Sep. 30." After that, seats not renewed "will be made available for other fans to purchase." The first-place team "has been hugely successful at the box office" in '16. Miller said that tickets sold "are up 24% and the team has surpassed three million in tickets sold for the first time" since their last World Series title in '93 (TORONTOSUN.com, 8/15).
RISING COSTS: In Toronto, Mark Zwolinski noted the new pricing structure "comes at a pivotal time." The team is "facing a potential rise in its payroll to keep the current, championship-worthy roster together" for '17 and beyond. DH Edwin Encarnacion, RF Jose Bautista and LF Michael Saunders "are all in contract years." 3B Josh Donaldson "isn’t eligible to become a free agent" until '19, but his salary "will continue to escalate through arbitration in the meantime." A host of other financial demands "face the Jays and these are expected to put pressure" on a payroll that sits at about $137M (THESTAR.com, 8/15).
