White Sox releasing $5 upper deck ticket for TOR series

[chw42]

You realize they offer $26 and $27 tickets for the same series, for outfield and bleachers seats...?

 

I thought those were 35? Maybe it's just weekend games.

 

I can't go weekdays. My parents b**** about coming back too late during weekdays.

Edited June 4, 2012 by chw42

[IlliniKrush]

Really? Why? It seems to me that more people going to the games would increase concessions sales.

I have the same experience he has. The revenue per goes way down. Overall increase possibly just by sheer numbers in the park, but it's diminishing returns. So if you already "lost" money on tickets or parking, you aren't making up for it with the merchandise (or possibly food).

[Middle Buffalo]

I have the same experience he has. The revenue per goes way down. Overall increase possibly just by sheer numbers in the park, but it's diminishing returns. So if you already "lost" money on tickets or parking, you aren't making up for it with the merchandise (or possibly food).

That's kind of what I figured - a dip in revenue per person. Still, selling (practically giving away) the upper deck seats for $5-10 per game is a decent idea just to fill up the park even if there isn't an uptick in concession sales. Creating an atmosphere in the park, maybe making new fans who come more often/upgrade to better seats in the future - not bad things.

 

 

[Soxfest]

The difference between $23 and $25 isn't keeping people away.

It the highest in MLB ...............I never said anything about the increase. Sox were the highest last year also.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Soxfest

[The Beast]

I got 4 tickets for Thursday's game - $34.72 for 4 together in the upper reserved. It seems like they are selling at a decent rate, or ticketmaster is locking a lot of them out. Let's hope there's some decent crowds.

 

If I was paying for parking, my evening would be $30, but it's going to cost me about $26 to go to the game on Thursday taking the red line.

Edited June 4, 2012 by MuckFinnesota

[Soxfest]

Don't drive to the game...?

 

Unless you live very far away, you can always take the Metra to Chicago and take the subway to the park.

You got a 95 mile Metra train....................I grow tired of the take the train s***............If I could take the train, I would not b**** about the cost of parking!

Edited June 4, 2012 by Soxfest

[chw42]

You got a 95 mile Metra train....................I grow tired of the take the train s***............If I could take the train, I would not b**** about the cost of parking!

 

I said unless you live very far away.

[caulfield12]

That's kind of what I figured - a dip in revenue per person. Still, selling (practically giving away) the upper deck seats for $5-10 per game is a decent idea just to fill up the park even if there isn't an uptick in concession sales. Creating an atmosphere in the park, maybe making new fans who come more often/upgrade to better seats in the future - not bad things.

 

 

It's definitely true with the minor leagues.

 

With a big market like Chicago, where there's not quite as much repeat attendance as the minors (the 80/20 rule still applies, though), maybe it's not so cut-and-dried because when you spend X amount of money to go, which is a lot higher than at minor league games, for a one-time event, maybe you're more likely to spend another 15-30% on top of that...AND, at some point, though KW and JR know that to build a true homefield advantage, that crowds in the low 20's really don't cut it.

 

It just gives the park an added "buzz" and different feeling when the upper deck is at least partially filled, particularly behind home plate.

 

Even if the discount night/s are revenue neutral, the advantage to the team....the feel in the stadium...the ability to attract or entice free agents (one of the reasons that Chris Perez said Beltran refused to go there was the lack of crowd support compared to what the Cardinals consistently draw), these are all intangible factors that do have a real impact outside of the bottom line.

 

 

[southsider2k5]

Why don't they try an experiment ONCE..."fan/customer appreciation day," on a Monday-Thursday game???

 

FREE PARKING. And just analyze the total revenue increase from those games in tickets sold, fans attending, concessions and souvenirs, etc.

 

Maybe it wouldn't be worth it...and they would lose money, but there's no other way to study this specific market (Chicago White Sox ticket demand) without at least trying it once to see what the effect is.

 

I don't think the season ticket holders who pay for parking as part of their packages would all threaten to burn down the front office. Maybe you can give them a preferred parking area that's closest to the stadium, some kind of giveaway (all you can eat those days for free, or all you can drink, or whatever, be creative!!)

 

One thing they used to have was half price parking if you got there two hours ahead of the games, and parked in the lots on the other side of the tracks.

[southsider2k5]

It the highest in MLB ...............I never said anything about the increase. Sox were the highest last year also.

 

If it wasn't an issue last year at $23, it isn't this year at $25.

[southsider2k5]

Let's say the White Sox have the "average" parking price for majors, $15.00-17.50.

 

You don't think that would have an impact?

 

I'm always thinking they WANT to have fewer people parking, but charging MORE for parking...giving those people who do park the "premium" experience getting in and out.

 

Let's say the parking price was $12.50 instead...then wouldn't those people who loved having to fight with fewer and fewer people complain, or would they be made happier by the experience of watching the game in a stadium that was filled with more fans rooting for the Sox?

 

And if they had 5000 parked at $12.50 or 2500 parked at $25; wouldn't you still prefer to get 5000 out to the game because of the additional revenue you'd derive from concession and souvenir sales?

 

Or does half-price/discount night lead to much lower sales in concessions/souvenirs and not offset the negative experience of the fans who might have to fight longer lines, more crowding in bathrooms, harder to park, etc.

 

For discount/half-price nights, is there is a 50/50 split between upper and lower deck seats sold? Or is it 75% upper deck and 25% lower? Just curious.

 

When I worked for a minor league team, the assumption was always that free/discounted tickets led to lower sales of souvenirs and concessions...but I'm not sure how applicable this is to the Sox, in the 3rd biggest market in the US. However, one always gets the idea their market isn't "families" or "cheapskates" or "blue collar" workers like it traditionally has been. I mean, they do target families and groups on the weekends, but not as much as lots of other teams do.

 

I'm guessing the delta is no where near as high as you think it is.

[LittleHurt05]

It the highest in MLB ...............I never said anything about the increase. Sox were the highest last year also.

 

Cubs parking is higher, it's just not run by the team. Same thing with the Yankess & Red Sox.

[demonbluess]

My immediate reaction to this was unnerving. I spent $13 a ticket for seats for Tuesdays game with my 7-game plan. I'm not entitled to the discount because I supported a team with a partial season package pre-season? That's $16 difference for 2 seats.

[The Gooch]

My immediate reaction to this was unnerving. I spent $13 a ticket for seats for Tuesdays game with my 7-game plan. I'm not entitled to the discount because I supported a team with a partial season package pre-season? That's $16 difference for 2 seats.

 

The $5 seats are only the ones in the corner of the upper deck basically (I checked on Ticketmaster). So if you are sitting anywhere besides there, the seats probably cost more...

[kitekrazy]

I guess I'll never understand why the 3rd largest city in the US cannot support this team and fill up the stadium when we have one of the best teams in baseball. I'm sick of all of the excuses over the years that even I have used to justify the lack of attendance.

 

Just look at 2005. We had weekend games in September where we could only draw 28K or 30K. A year where we were close to winning a 100 games.

 

I guess I've come to realize that our fan base is pretty small.

 

I've come to the conclusion it's a Bear's town.

[Tuna]

I can only speak for myself, had I known that I could get tickets this past weekend for $5, I would have been there with my family. Unfortunately, everything I saw when I priced it out was $25 per. After doing the calculations $25 per ticket x me, my wife and 3 kids, we're at $125 before we even start talking about gas/transportation to get to the park (coming from Crystal Lake), food/drinks while there, etc...There's only one other person as passionate about the Sox in my immediate family and that's my 4 year old daughter. She was the only one pissed that we didn't go.

[bigruss]

I can only speak for myself, had I known that I could get tickets this past weekend for $5, I would have been there with my family. Unfortunately, everything I saw when I priced it out was $25 per. After doing the calculations $25 per ticket x me, my wife and 3 kids, we're at $125 before we even start talking about gas/transportation to get to the park (coming from Crystal Lake), food/drinks while there, etc...There's only one other person as passionate about the Sox in my immediate family and that's my 4 year old daughter. She was the only one pissed that we didn't go.

I live in Kildeer, and while your a bit farther out I would recommend driving down to Skokie and taking the CTA from there. Much cheaper than gas + parking.

[greg775]

I can only speak for myself, had I known that I could get tickets this past weekend for $5, I would have been there with my family. Unfortunately, everything I saw when I priced it out was $25 per. After doing the calculations $25 per ticket x me, my wife and 3 kids, we're at $125 before we even start talking about gas/transportation to get to the park (coming from Crystal Lake), food/drinks while there, etc...There's only one other person as passionate about the Sox in my immediate family and that's my 4 year old daughter. She was the only one pissed that we didn't go.

 

I think Tuna's story is VERY commonplace.

People for some reason don't want to talk about ticket prices and parking, but it HAS TO BE a major factor.

It's not worth blowing 300 dollars in Tuna's case to see one baseball game.

I'm assuming the 25 dollar ticket he's talking about also would have been a lousy seat for the wife and kids.

If you are gonna go to a game you want a decent seat unless you are a wacky diehard.

 

If the Sox want to have high ticket/parking prices, fine, but in this economy it will show up on the attendance board.

The Sox should try to sell more tickets to corporations. At least the seats would be sold to the few rich people left in society.

 

[ewokpelts]

I think Tuna's story is VERY commonplace.

People for some reason don't want to talk about ticket prices and parking, but it HAS TO BE a major factor.

It's not worth blowing 300 dollars in Tuna's case to see one baseball game.

I'm assuming the 25 dollar ticket he's talking about also would have been a lousy seat for the wife and kids.

If you are gonna go to a game you want a decent seat unless you are a wacky diehard.

 

If the Sox want to have high ticket/parking prices, fine, but in this economy it will show up on the attendance board.

The Sox should try to sell more tickets to corporations. At least the seats would be sold to the few rich people left in society.

they sell a lot to corporations. like this link: www.whitesox.com/aon

 

aon is a pretty big company

[ewokpelts]

People are still not happy about paying the highest parking in MLB at $25.00..............this has kept people away also.

the cubs have $42 parking.

 

 

but let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant...

 

 

and let's not forget that the $25 parking is for weekdays only. the $23 cost still applies to weekends.

 

[Kyyle23]

I am going to the Wednesday night game. Anyone else? PM me and maybe we can meet for a beer

[Soxfest]

the cubs have $42 parking.

 

 

but let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant...

 

 

and let's not forget that the $25 parking is for weekdays only. the $23 cost still applies to weekends.

That is private parking........................Cubs have nothing close to $42.00 parking that is Cub owned Mr. Fact.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Soxfest

[chw42]

That is private parking........................Cubs have nothing close to $42.00 parking that is Cub owned Mr. Fact.

 

That's cause they don't have any parking lots.

[southsider2k5]

I am going to the Wednesday night game. Anyone else? PM me and maybe we can meet for a beer

 

I think I am going Wed. PM me.

[bighurt574]

It's baffling to me that Bulls parking is cheaper than Sox parking (maybe the other lots around the UC keep the Bulls more honest).