Attendance

[LittleHurt05]

Might be comparing apples and oranges.

Bears have only 8 regular season games, Sox have 81.

The Hawks and Bulls play indoors so no weather issues except getting to the game, they sell out but the Sox still average more fannies in the seats. Would the Hawks and Bulls sell out a 40,000 seat arena for 81 games?

 

The Sox averaged under 22,000 per game last year and that's just about what the United Center holds. The Sox also sell $5 or $10 tickets to many games, while it costs you $60-$70 to stand at a Hawks game.

 

I do realize that money affects decisions for fans, but to act like that's the #1 thing keeping Sox fans from attending is ridiculous. It's an extremely front running fanbase that isn't that big. Now with a really bad baseball team and the sport itself becoming insignifcant to the casual fan in the city of Chicago, no one is attending Sox games right now. Spare the price and economy talk, there are some very cheap tickets available to nearly every game.

 

[joeynach]

The Sox averaged under 22,000 per game last year and that's just about what the United Center holds. The Sox also sell $5 or $10 tickets to many games, while it costs you $60-$70 to stand at a Hawks game.

 

I do realize that money affects decisions for fans, but to act like that's the #1 thing keeping Sox fans from attending is ridiculous. It's an extremely front running fanbase that isn't that big. Now with a really bad baseball team and the sport itself becoming insignifcant to the casual fan in the city of Chicago, no one is attending Sox games right now. Spare the price and economy talk, there are some very cheap tickets available to nearly every game.

 

Cheaper tickets aren't just a function of a bad team thats rebuilding with low expectations. It's also a function of how baseball is digested today, more so through digital mediums and TV than ever before, and as a result teams draw more revenue from those mediums then ever before. The end game, lower attendance, lower ticket prices (in some markets), and less reliance on ticket sales for revenue or payroll. Baseball isn't the same business it was even when I was a kid in the 90s, there was no advanced media, live streaming, HDTV, baseball apps, baseball blogs, twitter, etc. Thats how I consume White Sox baseball more than ever, much less dependent on going to the ballpark to get my fill of whats important to me. And I think thats OK and I certainly think he Sox have adjusted to this. Of course you through a 95 win team with high expectations out there and you can fill the park, but for the other 90% of teams out there every year....this is the reality.

[greg775]

I'm a Senior Citizen and paid 1.25 for General Admission seats back in the 50s and 60s. It's hard to believe how much it is now to go to a ball game or any sporting event. I think it's reached a point were people are saying I'm not going to pay this kind of money anymore to go to a ball game. 2012 was a defining year as Sox fans with a team that was in first place 117 days but did not even hit the 2 million plateau. I give Sox management kudos for trying to resolve the issues that have kept people away from the park such as dynamic pricing and crazy parking fees. All that being said it still hurts to see the Sox just about last in attendance, 10,000,000 in the metro area and only 14,000 on a Sunday afternoon?

 

I agree with you, but we are in the vast minority who think prices of tickets and food at the park and parking has turned a lot of people off. I know cheap seats are available. I want box seats and good ones.

[caulfield12]

I agree with you, but we are in the vast minority who think prices of tickets and food at the park and parking has turned a lot of people off. I know cheap seats are available. I want box seats and good ones.

 

 

 

For some reason, this reminded me of Michael Douglas' epic burger joint speech in the movie "FALLING DOWN."

 

 

Back in last place in the majors.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

 

17,355 per game. What's most amazing to me is that Miami is averaging nearly 5,000 more per game, not that Tampa and Cleveland are the two teams right in front of us. Minnesota is now down to less than 25,000 per game as well (the five year effect of a new stadium and/or World Series title wearing off). Houston, also, being where they are...with how bad they have been. Oakland is getting more support, but they deserve it with their recent string of play.

Edited April 16, 2014 by caulfield12

[BlackSox13]

I'm a Senior Citizen and paid 1.25 for General Admission seats back in the 50s and 60s. It's hard to believe how much it is now to go to a ball game or any sporting event. I think it's reached a point were people are saying I'm not going to pay this kind of money anymore to go to a ball game. 2012 was a defining year as Sox fans with a team that was in first place 117 days but did not even hit the 2 million plateau. I give Sox management kudos for trying to resolve the issues that have kept people away from the park such as dynamic pricing and crazy parking fees. All that being said it still hurts to see the Sox just about last in attendance, 10,000,000 in the metro area and only 14,000 on a Sunday afternoon?

 

 

Might be comparing apples and oranges.

Bears have only 8 regular season games, Sox have 81.

The Hawks and Bulls play indoors so no weather issues except getting to the game, they sell out but the Sox still average more fannies in the seats. Would the Hawks and Bulls sell out a 40,000 seat arena for 81 games?

I know what you mean, I'm one of those people. I enjoy a beer and a ball game but not when one beer costs as much as a sixer from the store. I just don't have the money I once had so funds had to be prioritized. I used to drop $100 at a Sox game without thinking twice, now I wouldn't even consider it.

 

Again 2006. none of that crap mattered then. It only matters when the team isn't good.

In 2006 the economy had not yet s*** the bed either and in fact was still pretty strong.

 

The population decrease in Illinois is shocking, the south side and burbs has been hit particularly hard in this economic downturn. I'm an optimist though when it comes to this and believe it's ripe for a turnaround when the overall economy gets better.

 

Look at yesterday's attendances: Baltimore 15.7 74 degrees, Philadelphia 26.5 74 degrees, Texas 23.1 52 degrees (Texas 52???) Anyway, seems like a lot of places in MLB are having a downturn in ticket sales.

I know what you mean. I'm in the NW burbs of cook county and the taxes are absolutely brutal. You couldn't pay me enough money to own a home in Illinois now, glad I got out of mine when I did.

[Y2Jimmy0]

The Sox averaged under 22,000 per game last year and that's just about what the United Center holds. The Sox also sell $5 or $10 tickets to many games, while it costs you $60-$70 to stand at a Hawks game.

 

I do realize that money affects decisions for fans, but to act like that's the #1 thing keeping Sox fans from attending is ridiculous. It's an extremely front running fanbase that isn't that big. Now with a really bad baseball team and the sport itself becoming insignifcant to the casual fan in the city of Chicago, no one is attending Sox games right now. Spare the price and economy talk, there are some very cheap tickets available to nearly every game.

 

 

This is absolutely true. Sox fans are fickle and make excuses. It's not about money.

[Y2Jimmy0]

I agree with you, but we are in the vast minority who think prices of tickets and food at the park and parking has turned a lot of people off. I know cheap seats are available. I want box seats and good ones.

 

 

The problem is that many of the same people that want the White Sox to shell out money in free agency also want tickets for really cheap. It just doesn't work that way. It's supply and demand. Cars cost more than they used to as well. So does everything. The argument is tiresome because nobody is forcing you to go to games. It's actually very cheap to go to a White Sox game in retrospect. Do you pay $10-$14 to see a new movie in the theater? It's the same thing. I am 28 years old and I remember seeing movies as a young teenager for $6.00. Stuff is just more expensive. And it isn't going to get any cheaper.

[Balta1701]

I'm a Senior Citizen and paid 1.25 for General Admission seats back in the 50s and 60s. It's hard to believe how much it is now to go to a ball game or any sporting event. I think it's reached a point were people are saying I'm not going to pay this kind of money anymore to go to a ball game. 2012 was a defining year as Sox fans with a team that was in first place 117 days but did not even hit the 2 million plateau. I give Sox management kudos for trying to resolve the issues that have kept people away from the park such as dynamic pricing and crazy parking fees. All that being said it still hurts to see the Sox just about last in attendance, 10,000,000 in the metro area and only 14,000 on a Sunday afternoon?

It's worth adding, $1.25 in 1955 adjusts to $11 in 2014, and I'm pretty sure you can go to the upper deck for that amount pretty readily.

[cabiness42]

I agree with you, but we are in the vast minority who think prices of tickets and food at the park and parking has turned a lot of people off. I know cheap seats are available. I want box seats and good ones.

 

Tickets, no? Tickets are pretty reasonably priced. You aren't getting lower level seats behind home plate at any ballpark for less than $60. Between ticket packages, discount codes, etc., you can score pretty good lower level seats that aren't behind home plate for $20-30 for a lot of games.

 

Food, yes, but nobody forces you to buy food.

 

Parking I think is the biggest turnoff. I haven't studied the issue like I'm guessing the organization has, but I think lowering parking a bit might help improve attendance.

 

I also think it has to do with what you're looking for in an experience. When I lived in Oak Park and could easily get to 20+ games a year, I never paid for parking, and I very rarely bought food. I was using all my money to be able to get 20+ tickets, and I was sitting in the outfield in order to be able to do that.

 

Now that I live almost 300 miles away and can only get to 1-2 games per year, I don't mind as much paying for parking and food and paying higher prices for better seats.

[southsider2k5]

In 2006 the economy had not yet s*** the bed either and in fact was still pretty strong.

 

So why haven't the Bulls,Bears, and Blackhawks taken a hit?

[Marty34]

So why haven't the Bulls,Bears, and Blackhawks taken a hit?

 

Because Baseball depends on the average Joe to fill its seats more than the other sports (you left out the Cubs.) Not too mention the Hawks you know winning big.

 

[cabiness42]

So why haven't the Bulls,Bears, and Blackhawks taken a hit?

 

I'm rounding the numbers off a bit to make the math easy, but:

 

Bears play 8 home games with 65,000 tickets available per game so they only have 520K tickets to sell.

 

Bulls/Hawks play 41 home games with 20,000 tickets available per game so they have 820K tickets to sell.

 

Sox/Cubs play 81 home games with 40,000 tickets available per game so they have 3.24M tickets to sell.

 

Plus the Bears have been to a Super Bowl and and NFC Championship game in the last 8 years and the Hawks have won 2 Stanley Cups in the last 5 years.

 

I know growing up 106 miles from Chicago (yes, my house was exactly that far from downtown), getting tickets to and going to a Bears game was a special treat we got once a year if we were lucky. Going to Sox games was something we did at least five times a year.

[Harry Chappas]

US Celluar is the most easily accessible stadium in Chicago and has the best ammenities. There are no neighborhood places to go after Bears, Bulls or Blackhawk games.

 

Metra built a stop for the White Sox and usage was so low they discontinued the post game train and run nothing special for the White Sox except possibly on Opening Day.

 

 

White Sox fans could be among the worst in sports.

 

 

[Marty34]

US Celluar is the most easily accessible stadium in Chicago and has the best ammenities. There are no neighborhood places to go after Bears, Bulls or Blackhawk games.

 

Metra built a stop for the White Sox and usage was so low they discontinued the post game train and run nothing special for the White Sox except possibly on Opening Day.

 

 

White Sox fans could be among the worst in sports.

 

So what.

[Whitey]

US Celluar is the most easily accessible stadium in Chicago and has the best ammenities. There are no neighborhood places to go after Bears, Bulls or Blackhawk games.

 

Metra built a stop for the White Sox and usage was so low they discontinued the post game train and run nothing special for the White Sox except possibly on Opening Day.

 

 

White Sox fans could be among the worst in sports.

 

That's not true... I just took the Metra Rock Island train to the game this past Saturday.

[southsider2k5]

Because Baseball depends on the average Joe to fill its seats more than the other sports (you left out the Cubs.) Not too mention the Hawks you know winning big.

 

Exactly my point.

[fathom]

I can't believe there were only 13k last night for a game against the Red Sox with the weather not being horrible.

Edited April 17, 2014 by fathom

[Dick Allen]

Exactly my point.

I think Caulfield said 2005 has had a negative effect on White Sox attendance and I think he has a point. Titles will pack USCF, just contending and being in first place, apparently won't anymore. At least it didn't in 2012. We heard the excuses...People just knew they would fold. I don't know why folding the last half of September keeps you from attending a game of a first place team in July or August on a beautiful night, but apparently, that is where the Sox fanbase is at right now. It's pretty sad. Unless they win some more titles, I don't think there is much they can do to get the average close to or over 30k, like other teams with the same amount of success. White Sox fans have so many excuses, and when the Sox address those excuses they come up with more. I don't blame them for not going last year, but 2008 they were a playoff team and couldn't draw what they did in 2007. In 2011, they were "all in" and couldn't sell as many tickets as 2010. In 2012 they were in first place most of the season and couldn't match the 2011 total.

[ewokpelts]

US Celluar is the most easily accessible stadium in Chicago and has the best ammenities. There are no neighborhood places to go after Bears, Bulls or Blackhawk games.

 

Metra built a stop for the White Sox and usage was so low they discontinued the post game train and run nothing special for the White Sox except possibly on Opening Day.

 

 

White Sox fans could be among the worst in sports.

Love the half-truths perpetuated by sox fans looking for an excuse to b****.

 

The rock island line offers normal service on weeknight games. They still run one extra train on weekend games, as those days have different schedules.

 

[ewokpelts]

I think Caulfield said 2005 has had a negative effect on White Sox attendance and I think he has a point. Titles will pack USCF, just contending and being in first place, apparently won't anymore. At least it didn't in 2012. We heard the excuses...People just knew they would fold. I don't know why folding the last half of September keeps you from attending a game of a first place team in July or August on a beautiful night, but apparently, that is where the Sox fanbase is at right now. It's pretty sad. Unless they win some more titles, I don't think there is much they can do to get the average close to or over 30k, like other teams with the same amount of success. White Sox fans have so many excuses, and when the Sox address those excuses they come up with more. I don't blame them for not going last year, but 2008 they were a playoff team and couldn't draw what they did in 2007. In 2011, they were "all in" and couldn't sell as many tickets as 2010. In 2012 they were in first place most of the season and couldn't match the 2011 total.

The season ticket base erosion from 2008-2013 is what brought us here. NOT winning a WS in 2005. Walk up sales are being cannibalized by stubhub sales, as most people look there first before going to whitesox.com.

 

BUT, in the years since 2005, the Sox have offered untold ammounts of comp tickets, moreso than from 2000-2004. The kids club, which is free, gives each member FOUR free tickets(up from 2). That plays a factor in the attendance debate.

 

[ewokpelts]

It's worth adding, $1.25 in 1955 adjusts to $11 in 2014, and I'm pretty sure you can go to the upper deck for that amount pretty readily.

$7 is the cheapest seat on all but three games.

 

[ewokpelts]

Tickets, no? Tickets are pretty reasonably priced. You aren't getting lower level seats behind home plate at any ballpark for less than $60. Between ticket packages, discount codes, etc., you can score pretty good lower level seats that aren't behind home plate for $20-30 for a lot of games.

 

Food, yes, but nobody forces you to buy food.

 

Parking I think is the biggest turnoff. I haven't studied the issue like I'm guessing the organization has, but I think lowering parking a bit might help improve attendance.

 

I also think it has to do with what you're looking for in an experience. When I lived in Oak Park and could easily get to 20+ games a year, I never paid for parking, and I very rarely bought food. I was using all my money to be able to get 20+ tickets, and I was sitting in the outfield in order to be able to do that.

 

Now that I live almost 300 miles away and can only get to 1-2 games per year, I don't mind as much paying for parking and food and paying higher prices for better seats.

Parking WAS lowered. $20 mon-sat, and TEN f***ING DOLLARS ON SUNDAYS.

 

[Dick Allen]

The season ticket base erosion from 2008-2013 is what brought us here. NOT winning a WS in 2005. Walk up sales are being cannibalized by stubhub sales, as most people look there first before going to whitesox.com.

 

BUT, in the years since 2005, the Sox have offered untold ammounts of comp tickets, moreso than from 2000-2004. The kids club, which is free, gives each member FOUR free tickets(up from 2). That plays a factor in the attendance debate.

But why did it erode? Making the playoffs didn't help. Being in first place most of the season didn't help. Signing pretty big names and bringing fan favorites back didn't help.

 

Many people want to jump on the bandwagon, but IMO now it has to be a championship bandwagon.

[ewokpelts]

But why did it erode? Making the playoffs didn't help. Being in first place most of the season didn't help. Signing pretty big names and bringing fan favorites back didn't help.

 

Many people want to jump on the bandwagon, but IMO now it has to be a championship bandwagon.

Sox gained so many season ticket holders in the 2005-2006 offseason that they had a waiting list. hence the record attendance. ticke tprices went up.

 

2006 was a team that missed the playoffs, but the sox offered playoff tix with automatic renewals for 2007. hence the slightly lower overall attendance, as individual sales took a hit in a s***ty season. ticket prices went up.

 

2007 was a disaster. and many sth took off as their sth investment wasn't bearing fruit(playoffs or financial success). my brother had FOUR full season tix under my account in 2006-2007, and dropped them(i still had my partial plan). The sth base dropped big time, making pre-season sales of tix much lower in 2008 than in the previous few seasons. tickets prices went up.

 

2008 sox did make the playoffs, but they started slow and walkup sales took a while to pickup. But the sox didn't really sell a lot of season ticket plans coming off the hype of a playoff run. ticket prices went up.

 

2009 started strong, but the poor and inconsistent play turned crowds away, or made them look at stubhub first. and even more STH left. ticket prices went up.

 

2010 was a suprise, but like i said low sth base once again kills any gains from walkup sales. ticket prices went up yet again to thier highest levels before the slight reduction in 2011.

 

2011 was supposed to be all in, but poor and lazy play really pissed the fans off where there was little walkup. And tickets went up except in a few spots in the upper deck.

 

2012 had MASSIVE ticket plan cancellations, but they were an exciting team and walkup and other advance sales picked up but never made up for the loss of sth plans. prices were a bit lower, but still more expensive than 2005's prices. The ticket situation was so bad, the sox offered ALDS tickets to ALL ticket plan holders, even 7 game plans.

 

2013 was a diaster. The only thing that saved the attendance(even though it went down) was the massive discounts on ticket prices. But even then fans still found excuses.

 

2014 is bearing the fruit of many years of fan anger over bad pricing and bad ballclubs. Tickets didnt go up, but people seem to really have a wait and see approach.

 

[TheTruth05]

Sox gained so many season ticket holders in the 2005-2006 offseason that they had a waiting list. hence the record attendance. ticke tprices went up.

 

2006 was a team that missed the playoffs, but the sox offered playoff tix with automatic renewals for 2007. hence the slightly lower overall attendance, as individual sales took a hit in a s***ty season. ticket prices went up.

 

2007 was a disaster. and many sth took off as their sth investment wasn't bearing fruit(playoffs or financial success). my brother had FOUR full season tix under my account in 2006-2007, and dropped them(i still had my partial plan). The sth base dropped big time, making pre-season sales of tix much lower in 2008 than in the previous few seasons. tickets prices went up.

 

2008 sox did make the playoffs, but they started slow and walkup sales took a while to pickup. But the sox didn't really sell a lot of season ticket plans coming off the hype of a playoff run. ticket prices went up.

 

2009 started strong, but the poor and inconsistent play turned crowds away, or made them look at stubhub first. and even more STH left. ticket prices went up.

 

2010 was a suprise, but like i said low sth base once again kills any gains from walkup sales. ticket prices went up yet again to thier highest levels before the slight reduction in 2011.

 

2011 was supposed to be all in, but poor and lazy play really pissed the fans off where there was little walkup. And tickets went up except in a few spots in the upper deck.

 

2012 had MASSIVE ticket plan cancellations, but they were an exciting team and walkup and other advance sales picked up but never made up for the loss of sth plans. prices were a bit lower, but still more expensive than 2005's prices. The ticket situation was so bad, the sox offered ALDS tickets to ALL ticket plan holders, even 7 game plans.

 

2013 was a diaster. The only thing that saved the attendance(even though it went down) was the massive discounts on ticket prices. But even then fans still found excuses.

 

2014 is bearing the fruit of many years of fan anger over bad pricing and bad ballclubs. Tickets didnt go up, but people seem to really have a wait and see approach.

 

Good stuff, this is a pretty accurate summary since 05.