Tampa Bay Rays raise individual ticket prices for '09

The Tampa Bay Rays, coming off their first-ever playoff appearance (and World Series berth), have slightly raised individual ticket prices for the 2009 season.

Rays president Matt Silverman said Monday that about 70-percent of the single-game tickets will increase by $1 (for example, upper deck goes from $9 to $10 for regular game, from $14-16 for prime pricing). But in an effort to bolster their season-ticket base - the "lifeblood" of any baseball team - Silverman said the club is also increasing the discount for season ticket holders (up to 35 percent).

Silverman said the club is cognizant of the struggling national economy, but felt - especially with the continued free parking for cars with four or more, and the ability to bring in food and drink - it still makes the Rays tickets one of the most affordable in major league baseball.

"In order to continue fielding a team that makes the entire Tampa Bay region proud, our family of season ticket holders has to grow," Silverman said. "The pitch to a season ticket holder is an easy one; sit in the best seats, support your home team, and enjoy considerable savings off individual ticket prices."

Most everything else at Tropicana Field will remain the same; vehicles with four or more passengers can park for free, you can still bring in your food and drink, the upper-deck tarp will remain.

But here are some of the changes:

*The club added a "marquee" pricing category for the 11 Saturday night games (which will either feature a post-game concert or premium giveaway). The pricing for those is between the regular and "prime" pricing (games with Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies).

*Vehicles with less than four passengers will be charged $15 to park in the main Trop lot, $10 for the remote lots.

*There will be an increase in the surcharge for those tickets bought within five hours of game time (now $3-$5).

When Silverman was asked last week about the potential for higher ticket costs, he pointed to how even with a price bump, the Rays still offer one of the most affordable experiences in baseball.

"We could have increased ticket (prices) the last couple years, but we haven't," Silverman said. "And if you benchmark our seats against others in baseball, we're at or near the bottom in almost every pricing category."

The Rays posted losing seasons in their first 10 years of baseball (never winning more than 70 games), but made a huge turnaround in 2008, racking up 97 victories and winning the American League East. They advanced to the World Series and lost in five games to the Phillies, but Silverman said the sellout crowds at the Trop throughout the playoff run learned the value of the tickets.

"The experience our fans had, especially during the pennant run and post season shows the value of their tickets and their investment," Silverman said. " They enjoyed it, and a number of ticket holders actually benefited financially - they were actually a lot who covered some of their costs by selling tickets."

The Rays sold out eight home playoff games within minutes this year, and attendance this season increased 30 percent, the largest spike in the majors. But while the Rays shared baseball's second best record, they finished 26th out of 30 teams in tickets sold.

REGULAR GAMES
TBT Party Deck - $10
Upper Deck - $10
Outfield - $17
Loge box - $22
Press Level - $27
Baseline Box - $22
Lower box - $44
Lower infield box - $55
Fieldside box - $85
Whitney Bank Club - $115
Home Plate Club - $210

MARQUEE GAMES (11 Saturday night games)
TBT Party Deck - $13
Upper Deck - $13
Outfield - $20
Loge box - $31
Press Level - $38
Baseline Box - $31
Lower box - $52
Lower infield box - $65
Fieldside box - $95
Whitney Bank Club - $130
Home Plate Club - $240

PRIME GAMES (vs Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies)
TBT Party Deck - $16
Upper Deck - $16
Outfield - $24
Loge box - $38
Press Level - $47
Baseline Box - $38
Lower box - $60
Lower infield box - $75
Fieldside box - $120
Whitney Bank Club - $150
Home Plate Club - $270

-JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Comments

[Gary]

Hire Don Sutton!!

[DOC]

Stu spends way to much tme on the Sports page and not enough time reading the Front page. By the time basball season starts we likely be in a full blown recession. How about some consideration Stu? Its Time for the Rays to give back a little not take more. Think Stu Think....

[John]

The more important thing is placing a good product on the field. We need a couple more hitters + a closer. As the playoffs showed, having a good product will fill the stands.

ps, the Rays should have added an extra bat before the playoff trade deadline like most of the contenders did. If we had Jason Bay, we may be hoisting the trophy in May instead of just the AL Champion banner. In this crazy league, you have to pay to play.

[CR]

In a country that's against discrimination, it's amazing what this team can get away with when the sox/yanks/phils come to town.

[Louisville Slugger]

Where's the love,

I hope this increase goes to paying the players more.

I truly enjoyed this season.
I'm a new fan!

[Gene]

Agree with everyone that the price increase is justified. I think the increase for main lot parking is not, especially if they can't work something out with the St. Pete Police to be able to get out of there quicker! I know this is not the Rays fault, but it is their problem for folks that are new to them. I really disagree with the walk up increase and the inability for someone like me from North Tampa to be able to buy single game tics without a big service charge anywhere. Has stopped me on more than one ocassion from catching a game at the last minute.

[9equals8.com]

Geoff - you ought to think about partnering up with a couple of friends and splitting the tickets. Think about it - if you split them 3 ways, you get 27 games each for the price of about 18 games. If you split them 3 ways, your whole group gets to go to 1 game for each 3-game series (approx as there are some 2 and 4 game series). And, if you can't go to some of the games, you can use the Ticket Exchange feature for season tickerholders. Seems like you should be able to go to MORE games if you step up and buy seasons. AND, if they team makes the playoffs, you get those tickets as well. Sounds like a good deal to me.... Hope you can make it work.

[KeRiCr]

Anybody on here who is saying that they're not going to buy tickets to any games because of these increses; don't bother. We all know that you weren't going to go to the games no matter what the price. Enjoy watching the game from home.

[9equals8.com]

Come on, Tampa Bay, buy up those season tickets! This ownership group has proven they are willing to invest in a winner, so let's support our boys. Frankly, I'm tired of reading stories about how TB can't support this team. Let's get to 2mm+ next year.

[Joanne]

While I don't think the price increase is unreasonable, I do think that it will be a public relations nightmare for the Rays in this economic environment. For that reason, I think the Rays blew it!

[Chuck]

I would have to comment that to see the American League Champions in action this coming year, these increases are really, really cheap. Like one post mentioned already--look at the price increases that the Phillies announced. And if the Yanks, or Sox, had won the pennent you can bet that their over-priced tickets would have gone up again. As for parking--you have to pay if you have fewer than 4 people in the car. I pay as do not have 4 going with us generally. Also, being able to bring food and drink with you is a real bargain, considering the prices they have at sports venues. You can't do that at Lightning, BUCS, USF, UF games.There may be places you nac--but Have not heard of one other that the Rays.

[Kevin]

Increasing the ticket price by $1-$2 would be fine, but the "premium" game prices, surcharges, and parking increases are obnoxious and assinine. They make the Rays look like greedy amateurs out to squeeze every dime they can from their customers. The Rays should put class and goodwill first and follow the lead of the Red Sox and other clubs by cutting and holding prices during such an economic downturn. Increasing attendance next year is critical for the success of this franchise and now is that time to give fans even more disincentive to spend big bucks at the ball park.

[ST holder]

Good job, Rays. Modest increase, and taking care of the season ticket holders. Great to see.

[Geoff]

Like a lot of families, we have a tight budget for entertainment. While these price increases are not too bad, it just means we'll go to fewer games. We usually go to 20 to 25 games a year. It also means that we'll have to plan for some of these games because of the walk up surcharge or simply not go to the game if we decide we have the time on gameday. We cannot buy the 20 game packages because we simply cannot plan so far ahead of time - the kids have a lot of other things going on throughout the season.

We'll also make sure we eat before we go and take bottled water and peanuts for snacks.

The way the economy is headed, we're going to stick to our budget, maybe even spend less - you never know if we're next in the unemployment line.

[RFN]

The value in being able to bring in food and a bottle of water makes Rays tickets a good deal...period.

I get settled in my seat, enjoy the food that I brought in and then venture off for a good beer in the 2nd or 3rd inning, which I have no problem paying $8 for. I also attend movies and Bolts games, so understand that's the market rate.

The same day surcharge is difficult, because I often work late and I may miss a couple of innings with tickets purchased in advance. But, I understand the Rays position - I hope that some day, I CAN'T buy tickets walk-up because the games are all sold-out!

[John NJ]

I was recently in Detroit and caught a Lions game. Parking near the stadium was $40, dog was $6.50, beer $8.50. Rays definitely are a great deal. Wish I was back home able to catch the games in person. Have to buy the MLB package with DirecTV instead.

[Mike S.]

I'm good with the increase actually.

Mike,
Are they selling 20 game pkgs online yet? I talked to a rep at the trop and he said they'd taken that option down but would be opening those sales up again--sometime.
I have his card, I'll give him a call.

I don't think those are unfair ticket prices at all. The parking...well that I think is a bit much.

[Andy]

The article says they are increasing the DISCOUNT on season tickets, not the price of season tickets. Depending on where you sit, the cost for season tickets could still go up several hundred dollars...even with an increased discount.

Hopefully they will release season ticket prices soon. Until then, it's silly for season ticket-holders to sing their praises or get disappointed with this news.

As for the individual tickets, it seems the price for non-prime games wasn't marked up much at all (as low as $1 per game) The people who are going to be hit hardest by this news are the ones who only show up in late September to watch us clinch and/or when we are playing New York/Boston...aka bandwagoners.

[Scott]

Thanks to all, especially Ken, for the explanation on the ticket surcharge. I can see that side of the argument and the logic behind it.

[Bill]

Even in today's economic climate, it's still the best sports value around bar none. Free parking and the ability to bring your grub really makes it a steal...cheaper than a trip to the movies.

[Mark]

It's a community stadium. Our tax dollars pay for it. Shouldn't we get in free to see the games? You don't have to pay to use libraries or parks or other buildings built by taxpayers. Why should this be any different?

[Raymond]

They can keep their tickets. There is no way I am paying that much more to see a game.

[^^^^^^]

And they wonder why our state has a reputation for being racist.

[Cheapskate Jews]

I will happily pay for a great product.

[Helene]

In general, I think it's dumb business sense to raise prices when you're already struggling to put butts in the seats. The price hikes should come AFTER the demand is there.

BUT--one can argue that they are cutting prices where it counts...in the season ticket packages. The Rays need both more walk up sales and more loyal season ticket holders, but I can certainly see why attracting the latter is THE priority right now. The game ticket increases ARE extremely modest, and while I'm not at all happy about the parking and the surcharge, I'll live.

[Bryan]

You guys ought to really stop and think about how good we've got it. This is CHEAP to see the AL champs, it really is. On top of that, parking AND you can bring food and drinks in?

Jesus, I went to an Orioles game and it was 150 for the tickets for 3, plus about 20 each for beers, and another 10 each for food.

We've got it made.

[John Lighfoot]

Whether it's a concert, Lightning game, Rays, etc., Tampa is a huge walk up market. The surcharge increase is obviously an effort to increase season tix and advance ticket sales which are needed to strengthen overall ticket sales. If the Rays aren't playing well, the walk up crowd isn't going to show up, so the Rays need to lock them up ahead of time. I think it's a smart business move that will hopefully work and keep the team here in the long run.

[9equals8.com]

I thought they might do this - raise prices for singles and increase the discount for seasons. Season tickets are the lifeblood of a baseball team, so this makes sense. I'll be re-upping my season tickets.

For those of you that cannot afford season tickets, get a small group of friends together and share them (even if you are sharing a 20-pack). Also, there are lots of benefits to being a season ticketholder including the ability to exchange seats for other games and you can always sell seats for games you can't attend. Most importantly, you get the best seats in the house AND you get a crack at playoff tickets if we're fortunate to return. A great deal if you are into baseball and it will help our team stay competitive. GO RAYS!

[Tino]

What is interesting about Rays ticket prices compared to other markets is that very few seats are resold through eBay, etc. People just don't buy "extra" tickets to resell, and there are not thousands of corporate tickets being dumped on the market.

That said, the secondary market prices are often HIGHER than in other markets because there is not an excess of supply of tickets. For example, you can show up to the Forum and get a 100-level Lightning ticket for $10-20 right before the game.

Why would a scalper even show up if only 5,000 people are going to attend?

Joe,

I called the team today, and they have yet to announce the prices for season tickets...So it's kind of hard to form an educated opinion at this time.

I do know they regularly advertised a discount of up to 35% on season tickets last year, so we shall see.

[rocky]

Still the best buy when it comes to local sports entertainment...the ability to continue to bring your own food is huge..not many parks allow that.
Go Rays...

[Ken]

Jason & Scott: most MLB teams levy a surcharge on day-of ticket sales because you are in effect cutting off your nose to spite your face if people have little or no incentive to buy tickets in advance. MLB teams rely on season ticket sales for budgeting purposes -- you can't count on revenues from ticket sales that may or may not materialize on game day -- so teams do everything they can to make season tickets as desirable to fans as possible. Hence all the different partial season packages, etc. The Rays' surcharge is still very low compared to most other MLB franchises.

[Joe Smith]

Hey,

If any of you don't mind me contacting you for the story on tickets - I want to get fans thoughts on the surcharge, the season ticket discount, etc....Please shoot me an email and I'd love to chat with you today...

Joe Smith
joesmith@sptimes.com

"We could have increased ticket (prices) the last couple years, but we haven't"

Sure, they could have. And fans could have continued to make them dead last in the league in attendance.

But all in all, this increase isn't too dramatic. I do wish they would announce the season ticket holder rates.

[Mike Creyton]

I have had a 20 game plan for 6 years now. That is the way to go people. You save money on the tickets and you lock in really good seats. Also I had my playoff tickets weeks before the playoffs started. No hovering around a computer and hoping I would win some lottery or spending a fortune buying them on the secondary market. Also the more people buy the ticket plans, the less tickets will be available for other team's fans. Those people who we all hate seeing. The people that hate our community and ruin our baseball experience. We have to start shutting them out of our stadium. If they don't want to be a part of this great community, don't let them experience MLB baseball in our town either.

[Scott]

I have no problem with ticket prices going up, but I have a HUGE problem with the surcharge on day-of-game tickets, let alone an increase to $5. Gone is the spur of the moment decision to attend a game because for a family of four, it's going to add another $20 on top of the price. I contended last season that this was a factor in attendance being low in that you were "penalized" for not buying tickets in advance. Does anyone know if any other MLB teams do this?

[Jason]

Bumping the parking to $15 needs to result in improvements on the situation at night. It takes forever to get out of the stadium lots due to how they are configured.

Increasing that retarded same day surcharge is not smart. People that want to plan ahead will but you are penalizing the people that have late change in plans. If my son's Little Leage game is rained out, we can go to see the Rays.....but at an extra fee? I get in early from a business trip and want to go to the game, but it is going to cost me more?

Where do the surcharge fees go?

[Stephen]

Before anybody flys off the handle, these are very modest increases. Check out the increases the Phillies announced last week.

[Wally]

I think the price increases are reasonable especially when you consider that you can bring your own water and snacks plus free parking for four or more. GO RAYS!

[Jimbo]

I'm sure there'll be backlash, but before people call for heads, they should try to get tix for Fenway and Wrigley, or even less-storied venues like Angels Stadium and Turner Field. Those tickets rank anywhere from 25-300% more expensive than the Rays. Still a bargain in MLB, and as more people realize that and that the Rays are here for the long-haul, those season ticket numbers will continue to skyrocket.

GO RAYS!!! Bring home the trophy in 2009!!!