12/21/24
June 21, 2002
Variable ticket pricing: means you'll pay difference prices for the same seat depending on events at the ballpark, or which opponent is playing.
"'It will be bad in terms of revenue disparity, and it will be worse for Joe Sixpack,' [Washington State University economics professor Rod] Fort said. 'Because now the only game he can afford is against a crappy team.'"
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 09:48 PM - 5 comments
I meant, of course, considerably more expensive. Maybe I "don't know how to use a spellchecker".
posted by Samsonov14 at 12:23 AM on June 22, 2002
I know that most football teams in England have variable pricing based on the opposition or the importance of the match (in cup competitions), although my home team only brought in 'categories' a couple of years ago. Yes, there's something vaguely sniffy about the suggestion that people come to see the opposition, not the home team, but given the famed non-local support of Man Utd, it's inevitable. Works both ways, usually, so that early cup rounds are cheap, but that's not always the case, when you're playing a third-division side that wants to maximise its share of the receipts. The real disparity in ticketing -- something, I suspect, that doesn't apply to US sport -- is the way that away fans get reamed to sit in their segregated end of the ground: in essence, loyal travelling fans make up for an apathetic home support. I still remember thinking that it'd have been more ethical to pick my pocket when I was charged £30 to watch the Boro play Wimbledon at Selhurst bloody Park.
posted by etagloh at 06:49 AM on June 22, 2002
I don't have a problem with this -- it makes it more likely that if you want to see a can't-miss game, you can find tickets without going to a scalper. Of course, I live in Jacksonville, and there's no such thing as a can't-miss Jaguars game at the moment.
posted by rcade at 08:57 AM on June 22, 2002
The problem is, I don't think they'll reduce the prices of the non-premium games. I think non-premium games will be at current prices, and premium games will be higher.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:49 AM on June 22, 2002
You know, I actually like this system. Maybe it's because I didn't go to a "fancy school", or maybe it's because I "don't understand math". Or maybe it's because I "drank twelve beers". Anyway, this could give people the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the lesser-known players in the league without breaking the bank. And I'm sure even Joe Sixpack can afford the extra ten or so dollars if he wants to see a really good game. I read that the Bruins were considering something along these lines, and even though NHL tickets are consdiderably more expensive than those for baseball, I'd like see them do it. I'd go to a lot more hockey games if they weren't all so damned pricey.