Lower ticket prices in '13

[amsteel]

I wonder how much the Sox paid the consultant to look at Stubhub and proceed to advise them to change prices so they match the going rate.

[DumpJerry]

Originally Posted by amsteel

I wonder how much the Sox paid the consultant to look at Stubhub and proceed to advise them to change prices so they match the going rate.

Yeah, the research the Sox did was that simple.

[DumpJerry]

Originally Posted by kittle42

Actually, the only excuse this takes away from is price. People have plenty more reasons they do not come to U.S. Cellular Field.

1. They are not baseball fans.
2. They live in central Asia, the CTA and Metra don't go there.
3. They have been banned from entry into any MLB ballpark by MLB because of bad behavior.
4. They have a previous engagement that night.
5. They are admitted into the hospital.
6. They're stuck at the office past 7:10 p.m.
7. Their good Sox shirt is at the cleaners.
8. They like a cold Budweiser when watching baseball.
9. There's a massive storm front moving through Chicago with tornado warnings and hail.
10. The Sox are on the road.

I was going to your post, but then realized you have a point.

[Wedema]

Originally Posted by Chez

I kind of feel the same way. I've been part of a full season ticket group -- premium seats -- since 1987 (that's before the new park even opened). I attend between 15-25 games a year. I'm very happy to see the Sox take positive steps to fill the park, but I'll be disappointed if they raise the price of my tickets again. Probably not disappointed enough to keep me from re-upping, but disappointed nonetheless. I'm fine if they hold the line on my ticket prices, but to raise the prices (again) makes it seem like I'm sponsoring the other generous ticket price cuts.

I agree also. I split a plan in the premium seats and attend around 40 games per year but am no means "wealthy". It looks like the Sox are screwing their long time season tickets holders to get more people in the park.

[Quentin08]

I wonder if the Sox had made the post-season, would they have lowered ticket prices like this? Probably not! Now the late season collapse doesn't feel as painful.

The best part of this news release is the timing.. right before the World Series, people are still talking about baseball, it was all over the local news yesterday and today, and now we have all winter and spring to get the word out to those who may not have heard.

Even if the Sox don't see a significant increase in advanced ticket sales when tickets first go on sale, they should milk this "lower ticket prices" hype for all its worth and release a statement like "Advanced ticket sales have exceeded all of our expectations, they're the highest we've seen in recent years, and because of this we're expecting a massive increase in attendance this season. Get your affordable tickets now and enjoy the huge crowds at US Cellular Field this season!"

[dickallen15]

The Sox have no problem selling the premium lowers and premium clubs.

[Mr. Jinx]

Originally Posted by dickallen15

The Sox have no problem selling the premium lowers and premium clubs.

Exactly. Simple supply and demand. For years the Sox were undercharging for the best seats and overcharging for everything else. Looks like they are finally starting to fix that.

[LoveYourSuit]

Originally Posted by DumpJerry

You included Lower Box in your post. 115 is Lower Box. You should be consistent in your posting.

Why should I move to another section when I can very easily walk up to the park and buy tickets to games I want to go to and be stuck with a bunch of April and May games where it is Bears weather? The Sox were in first for most of the season and nobody complained about not being able to get tickets. Even with the price reduction that won't change because of the holdback.

The Sox are not "anal" about keeping people out of the Premier Seats. I've never had trouble strolling into them.

Check my original post, I never was specific to anything regarding lower box.

[LoveYourSuit]

Originally Posted by dickallen15

The Sox have no problem selling the premium lowers and premium clubs.

Exactly the way I see it.

God forbid the Sox try to run their business like a business.

Everyone complaining about getting screwed, let me ask you, are the Sox holding the inovoice to your face with one hand and holding a gun to your head on the other?

If you can't afford, cancel. That or go move to Sec 156 if you're looking for a nice discount.


When I couldn't afford this after the 2009 season, I simply just cancelled.

[LoveYourSuit]

Originally Posted by salty99

From Sox:

We have created three areas with tiered pricing in 2013 in what has been our premium lower box. The first 26 rows are being divided into two separate tiers, and those prices are increasing. For rows 27 and beyond, prices are staying the same.

They are finally getting this right.

Never was a fan or understood on how people in the last row of any section would have to pay the same price for someone 30 rows ahead in the first row.

It's another flaw of the vanilla layout of the ballpark. The lower bowl has never had any structural dividers/markers to split sections/areas into tiers. The first such structure came in with the Scout Seat Section.

The upper level has nothing also (as far as markers) except of the beams supporting the new roof.

[RealFan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jinx

Exactly. Simple supply and demand. For years the Sox were undercharging for the best seats and overcharging for everything else. Looks like they are finally starting to fix that.

This is my second post in this thread. I couldn't agree more with the above statement. I am a full season ticket holder in the premium lower box section. I am happy to pay a little more in order to help the rest of the park get filled. I think this will only enhance the value of my tickets for resale. Also, this provides options for those who simply cannot afford the pricey tickets of the past.

If you currently have seats in the lower premium box level, and you cannot afford them, you now have several options where you can most likely save money and still have season tickets.

[doogiec]

Originally Posted by LoveYourSuit

Exactly the way I see it.

God forbid the Sox try to run their business like a business.

Name one business, outside of White Sox baseball, where they publicly and proudly announce across the board improved pricing, then contact their most loyal, long term customers and tell them that not only are they not getting the benefit of the price cut, they are going to subsidize everyone else's price cut by increasing their prices. This isn't running their business like a business.

The Sox have difficulty maintaining sales of walk up and single game sales with any consistancy. Historically they only do well in these areas when they are solidly in first place. That probably won't change much. What will change is thousands of people who normally pay their invoice without much thought are definitely going to think hard and long about renewing. And while they may be able to sell the seats that are not renewed, what are the odds that the people buying them will stick around 5, 10, 20, 25 years like the people they are taking for granted?

It may make sense to raise those prices, or add more seating price tiers in the premium level at some point. It is the absolutely mind boggling stupidity from a marketing standpoint of doing them both at the same time that makes me wonder if the Sox even want to sell season tickets.

[doogiec]

Originally Posted by RealFan

This is my second post in this thread. I couldn't agree more with the above statement. I am a full season ticket holder in the premium lower box section. I am happy to pay a little more in order to help the rest of the park get filled. I think this will only enhance the value of my tickets for resale. Also, this provides options for those who simply cannot afford the pricey tickets of the past.

If you currently have seats in the lower premium box level, and you cannot afford them, you now have several options where you can most likely save money and still have season tickets.

There are only two real advantages to having season tickets:
1. Guaranteed postseason tickets.
2. Better seating location than what is generally available, based on moving up over the years.

So in years in which point 1 is not likely to matter, why in the world would anyone move to a lesser seating location just to "still have season tickets"?

[Soxman219]

Originally Posted by salty99

What is the number of people that will need to come out to satisfy this requirement? And people will ALWAYS have excuses.

At least 31,000, make it respectable. There's like over 9 million people in the Chicagoland area I don't think it should be hard.

[palehozenychicty]

Originally Posted by lpneck

Great news and hopefully just a start, as referenced by Brooks.

I don't think the Sox will be able to appreciably slash payroll next year no matter what, other than not resigning Peavy, AJ, and Youkilis (and of those 3 I'm pretty sure AJ is the only one I would be interested in for about 2/8-10M.) Could mean trouble with resigning Floyd, which might not be a mistake either.

I'm much less interested in what the Sox total payroll is in the future than I am about them getting value for that payroll. When your payroll is $90-100M, you can afford about one mistake, not five or six.

Is there any confirmation on the previously mentioned $10 parking on Sundays? That would be HUGE for me as I am an out-of-town fan who brings my family a few weekends a year for Saturday night/Sunday afternoon games.

This will also mean that walk-up sales will start back up- I am so glad I don't have to do research on the internet or find deals on stubhub to get tickets that are priced appropriately. If I can walk up the ticket gate on the day of a game and get a $20 or $7 ticket and not have to pay Ticketmaster fees? Wow.

Thank you.