Are season tickets a dying business model?

Submitted by Ron_Lippitt on

Hey all:

I gave up my season tix when I moved to Chicago for my career in the 90's.  Truth be told, it was one of the hardest decisions of my life.  The very idea of Michigan Football not being a permanent fixture in my life.  My not seeing the same smiling faces every week -- it felt foreign.  Even disloyal.  But my family came first so I let go of the tix. 

Fast forward to today, I'm back in the Detroit area, and I'm frequently asked if I have season tickets -- and where do I sit?  My answer is always the same.  "I go when I like.  I sit where i want."  The StubHub mobile app has changed the game for me.  Entirely. 

With the mobile app, I can: 

  • Assess a wide swath of available tickets in the days leading up to the game and choose as I like based on my needs (i.e. How many? What seats? Etc.)
  • Remove the commitment of purchasing whole seasons when I know quite well I won't be able to attend all the games
  • Remove the scalper interaction and the threat of "invalid" tix
  • And if you're slightly daring (I usually am), you can show up on game day morning and purchase last second tix at a fraction of the cost 

The only hurdle to the StubHub strategy is the necessity to print the tickets.  I'm told the Michigan Stadium attendants will soon be able to scan your smartphone, but for now -- there are several FedEx/Kinkos to choose from. 

So other than getting to know the people around my season tickets, and having the (perceived) comfort that comes from already having tickets to each game, tell me what the advantage is to purchasing tickets ahead of time in the long-run?  Am I the only one who has completely switched his thinking on this?

 

 

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Ron_Lippitt

July 28th, 2015 at 2:24 PM ^

My title asks if it's a "dying" business model -- not dead.  And if you actually read my post, you'd know I asked if I was the only one who felt this way (last paragraph).

Maybe you should read things before commenting on them?

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ghostofhoke

July 27th, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^

The $200-$300+ ticket prices for any game on the schedule is a direct product of StubHub. While I was in school (95-99) I never paid more than $75 for a football ticket for an out of town friend for even the biggest games. That includes OSU in '97 where I bought 3 tix all under $75. $100 for a ticket was astronomical at that time. Yes ticket prices have gone up across the board for events but again, that increase was exacerbated by SH. The most I ever paid for an event in college was $150 for a ticket to the 98 NCAA Hockey Championship game and that was a 4th row seat IN Boston against BC bought on the street right before the game. That seemed like a million dollars then and that wasn't just because I was in college.

Now I find myself looking at $300 for a ticket to the Utah game which is a meaningless regular season game on a Thursday night simply because people can try to set whatever market they want and SH provides the visibility for those prices to stick--if the prices are listed they must exist (whether they're actually selling or not) vs individuals trying to figure out the market limits themselves outside the stadium or standing on State St. In front of the Union--if enough people respond to the scalper with "you're nuts" and walk away, the market resets pretty quickly.

SH is great for the fact that you can always get a ticket to an event but it's made every ticket to events a "special" get vs just an extra ticket laying around.



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bronxblue

July 27th, 2015 at 2:02 PM ^

Season tickets still make sense for years with a couple of nice home games, as it assures you of a set price versus scrambling and maybe paying X times over face value for a rivalry game. But yeah, if you just want to see a game against Minny and one OOC, then season tickets seem unnecessary.

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late night BTB

July 28th, 2015 at 12:03 AM ^

Is it about money? Youre talking about moving so she can live at home. Those costs involve selling/buyjng/renting a place and all the costs and stress associated with that. Living costs should be 10-12k a year. Summer work and small loans knock that out easy.
You try to control your kids too long, itll bite you in the ass. Either at 15, 30, or 45...



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