SECONDARY PACKER TICKET PRICES

[deake]

I went to the game Sunday and paid $225 a ticket at the stadium for $87 tickets. I remember reading somewhere that a large % of the tickets are bought by scalpers, as high as 45%. Based on my experience it would seem that the market price is about $100 over what the Packers are charging. Why would the Packers leave (70,000 x $100) or $7,000,000 on the table for every home game? Why leave that money there for scalpers to take? What’s the logic?

[CaliforniaCheez]

You were buying a season ticketholder's tickets. Anybody that bought season tickets years ago also purchased the priviledge of passing them on to their offspring. The next generation is reaping the benefit.

The demand is so high that if the Packers raised season ticket prices, the ticketholders would merely raise their prices. Somebody would pay it.

I will not just give away information publicly, but my brother went to the Broncos game and paid face value for his tickets.

Interestingly enough, two weeks ago the viklings secondary market was selling tickets for $4 in the metrodome; that's below face value.

The first thing you learn in economics is supply and demand. Great example here.

[mraynrand]

I think linebackers should have to pay more than the secondary for tickets

[mraynrand]

Why leave that money there for scalpers to take? What’s the logic?

That's a great question. I wonder just how high they could raise prices before some of those multi-generational fans give up their season tickets.

[GrnBay007]

I'm looking for 3 tickets for the Packer/Bear game on X-mas and having a heck of a time. ....well, with not wanting to pay $300 + for each ticket. Also, hard to find people selling 3 tickets together, most sell 2 or 4.

[MadtownPacker]

$225 doesn't seem bad at all. Usually pay more for seeing them in SF.

[mraynrand]

I'm looking for 3 tickets for the Packer/Bear game on X-mas and having a heck of a time. ....well, with not wanting to pay $300 + for each ticket. Also, hard to find people selling 3 tickets together, most sell 2 or 4.

If you really want to go, and can't pay a lot, buy the tickets in the first quarter from a desperate scalper. Many times they will sell for less than face value, the further the game goes along. 3 together is tough, though.

[MadtownPacker]

I'm looking for 3 tickets for the Packer/Bear game on X-mas and having a heck of a time. ....well, with not wanting to pay $300 + for each ticket. Also, hard to find people selling 3 tickets together, most sell 2 or 4.

Easy fix, buy the 4 pack and sell one overpriced to Deake! :lol:

[deake]

How can I contact Mark Murphy? Need to ask him how they can leave 56 mil on the table each year. Isn't it his job to keep the Pack solvent?

[red]

i absolutely agree

the scalpers are making more then the team is right now

jack those prices up

if season ticket holders have a problem with it, then tough shit. there's 80,000 other people waiting for those tickets some many of them will pay the higher price

[ThunderDan]

I went to the game Sunday and paid $225 a ticket at the stadium for $87 tickets. I remember reading somewhere that a large % of the tickets are bought by scalpers, as high as 45%. Based on my experience it would seem that the market price is about $100 over what the Packers are charging. Why would the Packers leave (70,000 x $100) or $7,000,000 on the table for every home game? Why leave that money there for scalpers to take? What’s the logic?

I pay $76 a ticket per game for our seats. The hell I'm selling them to anyone. I had a choice between the Brewer game at Miller Park and the Packer game against the Broncos. I went to the Packer game.

[smuggler]

GrnBay007: You will have to take mraynrand's advice and buy a 4 pack and then resell one ticket. Buy them ASAP and then sell the lone ticket a few weeks before the game for best results.

[pbmax]

That's a great question. I wonder just how high they could raise prices before some of those multi-generational fans give up their season tickets.

You have to be careful as teams rarely want to lower prices, but if you raise them when you are hot, then selling them in a downcycle gets harder. I would bet the face value secondary market was more common in 2005, 2006 and 2009.

[red]

You have to be careful as teams rarely want to lower prices, but if you raise them when you are hot, then selling them in a downcycle gets harder. I would bet the face value secondary market was more common in 2005, 2006 and 2009.

if the team were to raise prices to say $125 from 78 or whatever it is now, they would still have sellouts every single game. the only people i could see it hurting is the people that refuse to reup their season tickets at that price (who will then easily be replaced by someone who is willing) and the scalpers that are currently making more money then the team. i would say half if not more of the people at every game are already paying at least twice of face value now

supply and demand. there is a massive demand. jack up the price

there's no reason why the team couldn't be the most profitable team in the nfl, and pump a large amount of those new profits into the community

the team won the superbowl and the team raised face value, what like 3 bucks from last year? i don't have the exact numbers, but i would say by looking online that secondary prices are up around 50 bucks more then they were last year. and still selling out

they can raise prices waaaay up

[Upnorth]

As a community owned team there are more owners who attend the game than sell tickets. There are no dividends for share holders, no stock gainsto pay.
Why increase price except for capital expansion? Get rid of salary cap and that changes.

[Little Whiskey]

remember all those fans shelled out additional money for PSL's. there has been talk to raise the psl to help pay for the lambeau expansion.

My dad has tix, but won't sell them to just anybody. he has to know the person that is taking the tix. he doesn't want to take the chance of a someone acting like a d-bag and getting his tix revoked.

[MadtownPacker]

My dad has tix, but won't sell them to just anybody. he has to know the person that is taking the tix. he doesn't want to take the chance of a someone acting like a d-bag and getting his tix revoked.So you have a hard time getting tickets?

[Upnorth]

So you have a hard time getting tickets?

MTP for the win!

[pbmax]

if the team were to raise prices to say $125 from 78 or whatever it is now, they would still have sellouts every single game. the only people i could see it hurting is the people that refuse to reup their season tickets at that price (who will then easily be replaced by someone who is willing) and the scalpers that are currently making more money then the team. i would say half if not more of the people at every game are already paying at least twice of face value now

supply and demand. there is a massive demand. jack up the price

there's no reason why the team couldn't be the most profitable team in the nfl, and pump a large amount of those new profits into the community

the team won the superbowl and the team raised face value, what like 3 bucks from last year? i don't have the exact numbers, but i would say by looking online that secondary prices are up around 50 bucks more then they were last year. and still selling out

they can raise prices waaaay up

Now, sure. But in a down stretch, it wouldn't be as easy. And I suspect, though I can't be sure, that the waiting list is partially full of people not prepared to pay the full freight of tickets and PSLs.

Raised enough, the interest in the secondary market might diminish and then you have an increase in empty seats in the stadium.

Also, the team makes a certain number of tickets available weekly for fans without season tickets. If prices go up enough, then those seats would be vulnerable as well.

I don't think there is as much price elasticity as one might expect. And I am certain the team would trade revenue certainty through season ticket sales for occasionally increased return via weekly price variations.

[mraynrand]

You have to be careful as teams rarely want to lower prices, but if you raise them when you are hot, then selling them in a downcycle gets harder. I would bet the face value secondary market was more common in 2005, 2006 and 2009.


That's a good point, but for the season tickets, you don't have a choice. You don't pay, you lose the tix - forever - up or down year. So I'm really intrigued what it would take for people to bail. Not too many gave up their tix because of the PSL deal. (Note: I don't really want to see prices go up - we have a family share of gold package tix and they are expensive enough!)

[mraynrand]

Also, the team makes a certain number of tickets available weekly for fans without season tickets. If prices go up enough, then those seats would be vulnerable as well.



You could leave those prices alone - that's only a small fraction of tickets. But how much could you gouge for season tix before you got through 40,000 people on the waiting list?

[deake]

That's a good point, but for the season tickets, you don't have a choice. You don't pay, you lose the tix - forever - up or down year. So I'm really intrigued what it would take for people to bail. Not too many gave up their tix because of the PSL deal. (Note: I don't really want to see prices go up - we have a family share of gold package tix and they are expensive enough!)


Now, sure. But in a down stretch, it wouldn't be as easy. And I suspect, though I can't be sure, that the waiting list is partially full of people not prepared to pay the full freight of tickets and PSLs.

Raised enough, the interest in the secondary market might diminish and then you have an increase in empty seats in the stadium.

Also, the team makes a certain number of tickets available weekly for fans without season tickets. If prices go up enough, then those seats would be vulnerable as well.

I don't think there is as much price elasticity as one might expect. And I am certain the team would trade revenue certainty through season ticket sales for occasionally increased return via weekly price variations.

I would think ticket prices should be based on demand and if there are 80,000 on the waiting list and tickets are selling @ $100 plus over what the Packers are currently charging something is rotten in ______!

[pbmax]

Season tickets are a bet against demand. You make out like a bandit if the team is doing well. And you have overpaid if the team is under performing. Season Ticket holders aren't going to pony up individual game market prices AND a PSL for tickets.

That said, there is a movement among some teams with smaller numbers of season ticket holders to price tickets according to market, rather than simple tiered pricing by location. But its not very widespread yet.

[mraynrand]

Season tickets are a bet against demand. You make out like a bandit if the team is doing well. And you have overpaid if the team is under performing. Season Ticket holders aren't going to pony up individual game market prices AND a PSL for tickets.

But they already did the PSL in GB. Now let's say they up the tix prices to 150-200/ticket on average - will people really start giving up their season tickets? And what will happen to the robust whiskey and porn industry supported by the scalpers?

[pbmax]

But they already did the PSL in GB. Now let's say they up the tix prices to 150-200/ticket on average - will people really start giving up their season tickets? And what will happen to the robust whiskey and porn industry supported by the scalpers?

If you have already bought the PSL, then most swallow the ticket increase, a slightly larger number bow out. But what about new buyers who have to cough up the PSL AND market value tickets?

[jpompo]

i would say half if not more of the people at every game are already paying at least twice of face value now


I would say that you're not correct. Think about that, at least 35,000 people sell their tickets for 2x face on the secondary market for every game? I have no way of proving who is correct but that seems too high to me. Maybe I have a slanted view because I know tons of people who go to every game and none of them pay over face.

[mraynrand]

If you have already bought the PSL, then most swallow the ticket increase, a slightly larger number bow out. But what about new buyers who have to cough up the PSL AND market value tickets?


sure - but if you don't go to market prices, you're never going to have season tix available. The current projection for my kids - right now they're at 40K on the wait list - is to get season tickets sometime in 3945 AD - or CE for you progressives.

[woodbuck27]

That's a great question. I wonder just how high they could raise prices before some of those multi-generational fans give up their season tickets.

Packer fans don't want to know that $$$$answer$$$$.

[vince]

Here’s the business case for the Packers’ game-ticket pricing strategy from this week’s Business Week article which also profiles Mark Murphy.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-green-bay-packers-have-the-best-owners-in-football-10202011.html


When you talk to Packer management, you start to realize that success is a tribute to the careful, constant maintenance of two things: the product on the field and the community’s warm feelings about that product. “It starts with football,” says Murphy. “We structure the organization in a way that we can be successful on the field. But a big part of it is also remembering that this team has a special place in this community. We’re owned by this community. We can’t be perceived as gouging the fans.”

The Packers must constantly walk that fine line between profitability and community. Every other NFL franchise is controlled or entirely owned by one majority shareholder, and NFL rules prohibit otherwise. (The Packers’ ownership structure predates current NFL rules.) Ticket prices, concessions, parking, stadium naming rights—all of that is dictated at most NFL stadiums by whatever the owner feels the market will bear, and every additional dollar is profit into the owner’s pockets.

The Packers don’t operate like that. Take ticket prices: Even after a 9 percent bump this Super Bowl championship year, the highest-priced ticket is $83, lower than all but two other franchises. In contrast to other NFL venues and their garish, wraparound ad signage, Lambeau is as austere as a high school football stadium. The only ads you see are on the scoreboard; the rest of the stadium has intentionally been maintained so that the vista a fan experiences today is similar to what he would have seen in the ’60s.

“We work as hard as anyone to increase revenue, to decrease costs. But we also judge our success by how we are regarded in the community,” says Jason Wied, the team’s vice-president of administration and general counsel. “We could probably double home game revenue if we charged New England Patriot prices, but we have to think of our blue-collar base.”

Below-market ticket prices are in effect profit distributions to the team's owners, who more than give back in other revenue streams, not the least of which is the upcoming stock sale.

[pbmax]

I think the pricing model is more complicated than described in vince's BW quote. Anyone know where the Packers rank in ticket costs for the league?