Panthers from '14-16 raised prices for three consecutive seasons but did not last year after missing the playoffsGETTY IMAGES
NFL Panthers season-ticket holders over the next few days will "receive renewal invoices and notice a higher sticker price," marking the first increase since '16 but the "fourth in the past five years," according to Erik Spanberg of the CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL. Season-ticket prices on a "per-game basis will be $49 to $210, compared with $48 to $195 last year." Panthers Exec Dir of Ticketing & Sponsorship Phil Youtsey said that "two-thirds of the price increases" are $1-6 per game, with the rest ranging from $6-15. The Panthers from '14-16 "raised ticket prices for three consecutive seasons," but prices did "not go up" last year after the team missed the playoffs. None of the increases "include the 11,000 club seats or 5,000 or so seats included in private membership clubs and suites" at Bank of America Stadium, as those prices are "set over the course of long-term contracts" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/15).
ANOTHER HAT IN THE RING: In Charlotte, Rodrigue & Peralta cite sources as saying that Charleston-based Sherman Financial Group CEO Ben Navarro is "actively exploring a bid to buy" the Panthers. Navarro "could be the first known bidder with financial wherewithal to buy the team outright." His family's ties to sports "run deep, but the Panthers would be Navarro's first foray into professional football." It is "unknown what Navarro's net worth is," but reports show Sherman Financial brought in about $2B in revenue in '16 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/16).
