On average, Cub ticket prices for 2016 will go up approximately 10 percent.
The
number of marquee games also has been increased from nine to 14 in the
bowl and the bleachers, while one section of outfield terrace reserve
has been reclassified to corner box reserve, with a 38 percent increase.
Colin Faulkner, senior vice president of sales and partnerships,
said the team's annual analysis of ticket sales from 2015, along with
its renewal numbers, the waiting list for tickets and the huge demand
for postseason tickets, led to the team's highest increase since 2010.
"We've clearly seen an increase in demand, so that
helped factor into an increase in our prices," Faulkner said. "Our goal
is to remain competitive for the long term and provide value to our fans
for a competitive baseball team, but also (value) in their tickets."
Faulkner
said a team analysis found there was a 20 percent increase in 2015 for
tickets on the secondary market over 2014, while postseason tickets were
going for three to four times face value.
The first payment
deadline of 20 percent is Dec. 2, with the full amount due Jan. 12.
Faulkner said the majority of fans have put their postseason ticket
refunds for the unplayed playoff games (Game 5 of the NLCS and three
World Series games) toward next year's tickets.
In other words, the Cubs are trying to capture some of the "secondary market" value of Cub tickets. This goes back to the philosophy that ownership seethes about: no one but the Cubs should make money off the Cubs. The spike in prices for post season tickets is a natural occurrence and a benefit to season ticket holders who paid for years of dreadful teams. But the Cubs only want the team to profit from its success.
The
Cubs had the third-highest average ticket price in the game in 2015,
according to Team Marketing Report. They finished sixth in major-league
attendance at 2.959 million fans after ranking 11th at 2.562 million in
2014.
The Trib reports the increases will range from about 7 percent in
the upper box midfield/outfield to 14.5 percent in upper infield reserve
to more than the 38 percent increase in some of the newly reclassified
terrace boxes.
The highest average ticket price, a club infield
box, is $105.24 per game, or $118 with the 12 percent amusement tax
added. The lowest, upper deck outfield reserve, is $20.37, or about $23
with the amusement tax. Bleacher tickets remain about the same, from $16
to $65 before taxes, though the addition of marquee games will increase
the total price.
One section of the terrace reserved outfield,
affecting about 900 seats, or about 350 season-ticket holders, will be
reclassified.
"Those are going up 43 percent," Faulkner said. "We
found the first five or six rows are much different than the seats that
could potentially be in Row 28-29 or 30 at the back of those sections."
