Season tickets for the big four sports in the United States has morphed into an elitist, corporate culture, where the majority of individuals have effectively been priced out of the market. For example, when the New York Giants opened Metlife Stadium in 2010, longtime season ticket holders were told to either pay up or bequeath the tickets to someone willing to pay.
On the other hand, season tickets for teams in the English Premier League are drastically lower. The business models of most clubs, with Arsenal being the exception, are less oriented towards generating the highest revenue from ticket sales.
In the link below you will notice that Manchester City has the lowest priced season tickets in the league which I am sure surprises most. What do you think is the reason for that, and is it a sustainable business model?
http://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/12/02/how-nfl-season-ticket-prices-compare-to-the-premier-league-special-report/
I find this topic very compelling, as I am someone who has endured the struggles of expensive tickets first-hand. I've been a life-long New York Giants supporter/fan. I live in New York and have seen just about every single game since I was 10. The only problem is that out of all the games I've seen, I've only seen one in person. That one time was because my father got free tickets from a colleague of his. Tickets are just too expensive nowadays in the NFL for the average fan to purchase on a regular basis. I certainly do not think that it's a sustainable business model because out pricing devout fans weakens the fan base. It has, though, been working for the Giants and most NFL teams alike. I guess only time will tell when/if things will change.
ReplyDeleteAs a major-4 American sports fan living in Dallas, TX, it's been interesting to see how ticket prices have stayed or changed over time. With the Cowboys, especially with the new stadium, single and season tickets have always been expensive and its very hard to bring out people without at least decent incomes. With the Stars, because of the team being mediocre for almost a decade now, the team draws between 3,000 to 4,000 less per game than the Mavericks who play in the same arena. The tickets are reasonable but good seats are still expensive and the team lacks an identity within the city and surrounding areas unlike the 3 other teams. With the recent success of the Rangers, their tickets prices have climbed but attendance has still grown as well because the tickets are very affordable. The Mavericks have been a very hot ticket ever since Cuban bought the team and they do the best job in terms of entertainment value (the games have had consecutive sellouts for years and been in the top 4 in NBA attendance for more than a decade running). So many times, the market and on-field success of the teams in the states dictates whether the teams sell tickets and get people to come out to the games.
ReplyDeleteIn the US, pricing of tickets relies heavily on how good the team is. For an example, some hockey teams are selling tickets to their games that range between $50 and $80. However, I am from Chicago and I would never be able to find a Blackhawks ticket for under $80, even for poor seating. I do think these high values disrupt the fan base by not allowing lower-income fans to see the events. Thus, I wonder if the lack in avaliablility for some tickets then promote media and tv coverage of the games. From a business standpoint, I think higher tickets are beneficial for the program. From a fan standpoint, we want lower ticket prices so we can go to more games!!
ReplyDelete