Season Ticket Renewals

[hail2skins]

It is not up to the owner. The owner does have the option of "buying" the seats at a discounted price (I assume the " league split" portion of the tickets), and then they can give them away to charity.

So if the owner has the option that you describe, doesn't that mean that its "up to the owner?"

You have to think that some analysis went into the removal of the upper level end zone and in the end, Snyder decided it was in the better interest to rip the seats out rather than continue to purchase the unsold ones.

[SwampEm]

So if the owner has the option that you describe, doesn't that mean that its "up to the owner?"

You have to think that some analysis went into the removal of the upper level end zone and in the end, Snyder decided it was in the better interest to rip the seats out rather than continue to purchase the unsold ones.

According to PFT the team would have to pay 34 cents on the dollar for the tickets to avoid a blackout. Here is more.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/14/blackout-loophole-could-give-union-some-labor-leverage/

[RFKFedEx]

According to PFT the team would have to pay 34 cents on the dollar for the tickets to avoid a blackout. Here is more.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/14/blackout-loophole-could-give-union-some-labor-leverage/

Thanks for posting that SwampEm.

34 cents on the dollar for all of those unsold 400 level seats is a much better bargain than the long term damage of a blackout.

Snyder will probably still be paying the 34 cents on the dollar this year, only now there will be 8,000 fewer unsold seats to pay for.

He's way too smart to have ever exercised the blackout threat when there's a supposed waiting list and a sell out streak of 45 years.

[tshile]

he could lower tickets 10 cents on the dollar, sell more of them, and make off 24 cents on the dollar richer.

10% total cut for GA tickets, but with a sell out... when you factor in concessions, merchandise, and parking (which wouldn't be cut), he'd probably come out ahead...

[SwampEm]

he could lower tickets 10 cents on the dollar, sell more of them, and make off 24 cents on the dollar richer.

10% total cut for GA tickets, but with a sell out... when you factor in concessions, merchandise, and parking (which wouldn't be cut), he'd probably come out ahead...

I really don't think lowering a $79 UL ticket to $71.10 is going to make a lot of difference.

[RFKFedEx]

he could lower tickets he'd probably come out ahead...

Not in the long run. Price slashing would be like admitting defeat, unlike seat removal which can be spun as a fan improvement.

It sounds twisted, but I get their logic behind not lowering prices when you look at the big picture, not just the here and now.

[SwampEm]

Not in the long run. Price slashing would be like admitting defeat, unlike seat removal which can be spun as a fan improvement.

It sounds twisted, but I get their logic behind not lowering prices when you look at the big picture, not just the here and now.

They could do a section or two that is family friendly. No beer men, half price tickets for kids (future STH's), and some sort of mascot.

[tshile]

I really don't think lowering a $79 UL ticket to $71.10 is going to make a lot of difference.

Then you have no respect for math, or money...

Someone who has 4 tickets, thats $316 dollars across the entire season. Also, you save tax, which is an attitional $31.60

Now, i would argue that if 316 is going to make/break your financial situation, then you probably shouldn't be spending so much money on something like season tickets... but i'm not going to scoff at the idea of my season tickets being $352.60 cheaper...

Not in the long run. Price slashing would be like admitting defeat, unlike seat removal which can be spun as a fan improvement.

It sounds twisted, but I get their logic behind not lowering prices when you look at the big picture, not just the here and now.

Anyone who buys the fan improvement is incredibly naive, and i would venture a guess that they're not season ticket holders anyways.

Also, i agree with you. I was just pointing out that cutting the ticket price would be better than paying for seats that noone sits in. Of course, it really depends on how many seats he'd have to pay for to avoid blackout. Obviously there's a threshold where on one side it's worth it, on the other it's not.

Edited August 11, 2011 by tshile

[SwampEm]

Then you have no respect for math, or money...

Someone who has 4 tickets, thats $316 dollars across the entire season. Also, you save tax, which is an attitional $31.60

Now, i would argue that if 316 is going to make/break your financial situation, then you probably shouldn't be spending so much money on something like season tickets... but i'm not going to scoff at the idea of my season tickets being $352.60 cheaper....

TSHILE-

I am not discounting $352.60. I would to love have an extra $352.60 laying around.

There is however a little thing called profit maximization. One would have to assume that somebody who is enticed by the 10% reduction in prices is going to spend zero to minimal money in the stadium since that extra $7.90 per ticket was keeping them away from the game in the first place. I would also go under the assumption that these people would also look to hitch a ride with a parking pass holder or take the metro as well because their $352.60 savings would be reduced to $2.60 if they bought a parking pass. Then you would have to take into account if this would cause more than a 11.1111% increase in demand for tickets since money is effectively lost on the other tickets being sold at $71.10 vs $79.

I highly doubt that they would garner a 11.1111% increase in demand to create a greater profit.

Edited August 11, 2011 by SwampEm

[RFKFedEx]

In addition to your free jersey, you'll now get free bonus tix to any game of your choice. I got this email today.

Dear Waiting List Member:

Don't miss your opportunity to get Washington Redskins season tickets!! Tickets start at just $640* for the entire season and include exciting matchups against the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and arch-rivals Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Redskins want YOU to join Head Coach Mike Shanahan and the rest of your Washington Redskins for the 2011 season. Available for your convenience:

Inside-the-beltway parking

3-month, interest-free payment plan

And much, much, more...

Purchase by August 31st and receive an extra free set of tickets to the Redskins game of your choice this season.** Additionally, receive a free Redskins Replica Jersey. Choose from players DeAngelo Hall, Brian Orakpo, and Chris Cooley.*** Purchase 4 or more season tickets and your Jersey will be AUTOGRAPHED!

Secure your seats today by calling the Redskins at 301-276-6033. Or, go to www.redskins.com/seasontickets to place your down payment today. You can also e-mail seasontickets@redskins.com with any questions.

See you at FedExField and Hail to the Redskins!

*Price does not include tax, $100 per seat activation fee, and $25 shipping and handling.

**Extra tickets will be equal to the number of season tickets purchased. Exact seat locations are at the sole discretion of WFI Stadium Inc.

***Offer expires 8/31/11. One jersey per account. Minimum purchase of 2 season tickets is required.

[tshile]

hah. i guess they're struggling.

if anyone actually believes there is a waiting list after that, then i don' think anything can convince you otherwise

[RFKFedEx]

hah. i guess they're struggling.

if anyone actually believes there is a waiting list after that, then i don' think anything can convince you otherwise

The free bonus tix to 'any game of your choice' is a testament to the number of vacancies which remain in that place, even after the STH's season officially began last week.

It doesn't specify if the free game is home or on the road. I'll bet you could finagle free road game tix if you were determined enough.

[tshile]

Yeah.

Sad state of affairs.

[SonnyandSam]

Well, to add to the Skins attempt to sign up more season ticket holders, my son received a glossy poster in the regular mail yesterday offering free club tickets and free AAA tailgate tickets for any game if he buys season tickets. The Skins called me about 3 years ago saying my son was eligible for season tickets but I told them to take his name off the waiting list. Curiously, my wif'e's name which is still on the wait list has not received any offers at all, email or snail mail.

The glossy mailer can be unfolded to show the highlights of the Redskins history on the reverse side. It folds out to about 12" by 24".

On a related note.....I found it quite interesting that Heinz Field last night was about half empty in the lower level for the Steelers/Eagles game. I would have expected better attendance for such an in state rivalry game. For our game against the Steelers, the lower level was almost completely full....even if 25% of them were Steeler fans.

[DC9]

http://vimeo.com/26777211

This is one issue that I always take the side of the franchise. I love my job, but I don't make a ton of money, and I have been able to afford season tickets since my name came up on the list two years ago and it doesn't look like that'll change anytime soon (knocking on wood). I choose to buy them because I have control over where I sit and I enjoy saying, "Hey, I'm a ticket holder too!" Yes, it did use to mean something more around here, and I don't doubt that those days are on their way back in the coming years, but I just can't stand people making this more than what it is.

Please click on the link above, it's Darren Rovell speaking about the "collapse of the season ticket." He's been very vocal about this recently. It's not just with our Redskins, it's everyone in every sport (save the Green Bay Packers). The economy is terrible, and with entities like stubhub and craigslist, you have guys willing to dump their tickets for ANYTHING in days leading up to games. If you get good at playing that market, then you will save quite a bit of money.

Rovell is one of the best in the business, he works for CNBC and I've been a huge fan of his for the last year or so. He's researched this in many different markets across several sports. He happened to be on Lavar and Dukes yesterday (sorry... I wanted to hear Redskins talk, lol) and they tried to get him to blame the Redskins downsizing the stadium on Danny and the poor management of the Redskins over the last decade, and Rovell quickly said that outside of Green Bay (where the Packers are the only game in town) this is happening everywhere in every sport.

I love the Redskins. I am not a homer or a blind idiot, but if we all took a step back and looked at the big picture here, across the board, it's really a simple combination of issues that leads us to where we are now.

Just my two bits.

[RFKFedEx]

I think the issue Chad was getting at is this team needs to stop shoveling the BS down the throats of their fans. Don't continue to brag about a 200,000 person waiting list and a 45 year sellout streak; all the while continuing to blast us with emails for ticket offers after you've just removed 10,000 seats from your stadium.

Of course you need to market season tickets, we all get that. Reducing the seating capacity is also a needed improvement, that's great.

But please hush with the bragging about claims for ticket demand that anyone w/ half a brain can figure out aren't true. It's insulting to the intelligence of our fanbase.

The last time Snyder mentioned the waiting list was in 09, hopefully we won't hear about it again anytime soon. However, the boasts of the supposed sellout streak continue to be a central element to the teams ticket marketing propaganda. It's become a joke and it needs to stop. Other teams don't do this. Please stop mentioning the sellout streak and the length of the waiting list. There are many other tactful ways in which sports teams drive tickets sales. The carnival barking is way tired.

Edited August 19, 2011 by RFKFedEx

[DC9]

You seem to be an assertive guy, RFK. I have never been offended by them saying there is a waiting list, I don't see how anyone could. There are plenty of other things the franchise does to offend people, trying to sell tickets shouldn't be one of them.

PT Barnum said, "there is a sucker born every minute, and two to take him." If that doesn't apply to you I would move along, I wouldn't take it personally. We're beating the dead horse here.

[SonnyandSam]

http://vimeo.com/26777211

This is one issue that I always take the side of the franchise. I love my job, but I don't make a ton of money, and I have been able to afford season tickets since my name came up on the list two years ago and it doesn't look like that'll change anytime soon (knocking on wood). I choose to buy them because I have control over where I sit and I enjoy saying, "Hey, I'm a ticket holder too!" Yes, it did use to mean something more around here, and I don't doubt that those days are on their way back in the coming years, but I just can't stand people making this more than what it is.

Please click on the link above, it's Darren Rovell speaking about the "collapse of the season ticket." He's been very vocal about this recently. It's not just with our Redskins, it's everyone in every sport (save the Green Bay Packers). The economy is terrible, and with entities like stubhub and craigslist, you have guys willing to dump their tickets for ANYTHING in days leading up to games. If you get good at playing that market, then you will save quite a bit of money.

Rovell is one of the best in the business, he works for CNBC and I've been a huge fan of his for the last year or so. He's researched this in many different markets across several sports. He happened to be on Lavar and Dukes yesterday (sorry... I wanted to hear Redskins talk, lol) and they tried to get him to blame the Redskins downsizing the stadium on Danny and the poor management of the Redskins over the last decade, and Rovell quickly said that outside of Green Bay (where the Packers are the only game in town) this is happening everywhere in every sport.

I love the Redskins. I am not a homer or a blind idiot, but if we all took a step back and looked at the big picture here, across the board, it's really a simple combination of issues that leads us to where we are now.

Just my two bits.

I agree with your DC9. I've tried to make this point for two years on this board. It's not all Snyder's fault. the economy and the poor team play is a big factor. Now if you blame the poor play on Snyder, then yes he has been a big factor. But I think the coaches, players, and front office all share in the blame. If you pay a superstar big money, you expect them to at least play as well as they did the previous year. And we've had too many of those go bad. Even Gibbs did not do a very good job of coaching or player selection during his four years.

Almost every professional team is facing difficulties. The NBA is in real bad shape. Several MLB teams are bordering on bankruptcy with the Dodgers leading the way. 5-6 NFL teams this year are facing blackouts because of poor ticket sales. Some are rumored to be in bad financial shape. Snyder can't be blamed for all of this.....not if you are a rational person, at least.

No season ticket increase for 5-6 years and no parking increase for longer than that I believe. Adding new HDTV screens and other improvements. Snyder has tried to bring in talented players and coaches to win games. But fans still stay away and prefer watching on their large screen HDTVs. Even if the Skins make it back to the playoffs regularly, I believe selling out FedEx will continue to be difficult. Partly because of technology and partly because our economy is going to take a while to recover....years not months.

[RememberOsaka]

INo season ticket increase for 5-6 years and no parking increase for longer than that I believe. Adding new HDTV screens and other improvements. Snyder has tried to bring in talented players and coaches to win games. But fans still stay away and prefer watching on their large screen HDTVs. Even if the Skins make it back to the playoffs regularly, I believe selling out FedEx will continue to be difficult. Partly because of technology and partly because our economy is going to take a while to recover....years not months.

Here's an idea. Make the gameday experience affordable for more people and more people will go to games. Taking my wife and 2 kids and sitting in the lower level endzone would cost me over $470 with parking BEFORE any concessions. I can afford this expenditure but I would venture that many cannot.

Making concessions more affordable will also lead to more people attending games and purchasing them. Raising beer prices to $9 for a Bud Light is absurd. Owners got greedy and kept raising prices until demand could no longer support the inflated prices.

People need to see the value in attending games to get up off of their couches and away from the large screen HDTV's.

Edited August 19, 2011 by RememberOsaka

[MarkB452]

Osaka - Amen to that. Look around the stadium and you see very few kids at the games. A friend of mine teaches school and would love to bring his kids to a game, but at current prices, he limits their visits to preseason games. I wish instead of ripping out the seats in both endzones, they had lowered the prices in those sections and even offered youth tickets at 50% off face. BTW, Tampa Bay has a program like this. I guess the TO never heard of supply and demand (hmmm....maybe Vinny is not completely gone after all).

I don't like the way they use the so-called waiting list as the boogeyman in order to convince current STH to renew their seats and pressure potential buyers to buy now when knowledgeable folks know it is a farce (hence my signature).

BTW, I just bought a pair of Tampa Bay tickets for 9/1 for $1 each on stubhub (section 429, row 12).

[SonnyandSam]

Here's an idea. Make the gameday experience affordable for more people and more people will go to games. Taking my wife and 2 kids and sitting in the lower level endzone would cost me over $470 with parking BEFORE any concessions. I can afford this expenditure but I would venture that many cannot.

Making concessions more affordable will also lead to more people attending games and purchasing them. Raising beer prices to $9 for a Bud Light is absurd. Owners got greedy and kept raising prices until demand could no longer support the inflated prices.

People need to see the value in attending games to get up off of their couches and away from the large screen HDTV's.

But why would you reduce prices if you are selling out or even nearly selling out during three pretty bad economic years? And ticket demand is not down for lower level seats. Seats that may be going unsold are in the nose bleed sections. Do you really think lowering the price of beer, soda or food is actually going to entice more people to buy season tickets. I do not. People do not make a decision to buy season tickets to the Redskins based on the cost of beer, soda and food. They buy season tickets to watch football.

Part of the reason ticket demand is down is that lots of people in the DMV are now unemployed from those 6-7 figure per year jobs they had. Ticket prices have not gone up for 5-6 years now. Can you say the same for that shiny new car; or the gallon of milk you buy for your kids; or that steak you ate last weekend? Yes, the beer in your seat went up a dollar for the first time in several years. You can still get a 20 ounce draft on the concourse for $8 if you are willing to leave your seat. It is why a lot of us tailgate. Oh by the way....do you buy that $10 bag of popcorn or $5 soda when you go to the movie theater with your kids? Those prices are just as outrageous as what Danny charges for beer and soda. Does that stop you from going to the movies? You're not forced to buy the popcorn and soda. You CHOOSE whether it is worth the money to fill your stomach or quench your thirst during the movie. Same thing with the food and drink at FedEx Field. And the costs are about the same at FedEx as they are at any other NFL stadium in a large city.

Everyone wants to accuse Snyder of being a greedy ****. But this IS a business. It does not exist just to provide you with a below market price to watch the Redskins or to buy your food or drink. The unfortunate problem for people like you is that others ARE willing to pay the prices that you are not. That is the way our economy works here in the USA. I think Snyder has found out that he has reached the point of diminishing returns with ticket prices, both GA and premium; especially with the bad economy. I don't think we will ever see the prices come down. I do think he may not increase the prices as quickly. The whole point of running a business is to make as much money as you can. Market demand determines how much you can get away with charging for the entertainment and the food and beer.

Until the economy improves dramatically and/or the team play improves dramatically, selling tickets to sell out FedEx Field will be a challenge....but not impossible.

[RFKFedEx]

I'm w/ you S&S, I don't think lowering prices would help attendance all that much. I think reducing supply is the smartest path at this point and we're going in the right direction.

On a related note, I just learned of Green Bays plans to further expand Lambeau Field following this season. BAD IDEA! I know they have a true waiting list and probably the highest ticket demand in the league, but the product they have today is already perfect. Adding another 8,000 seats to Lambeau may push them over the edge as far as keeping the place full each week. If it aint broke, don't fix it. They just added 10,000 seats to Lambeau in 2003, and the renovation and expansion turned out to be darn near perfect. I've always viewed GB's gameday experience as the ideal model which the rest of sports should follow. Now that is in jeopardy IMO.

[SonnyandSam]

Tampa Bay is reportedly cutting food and drink prices in half for the opening game to entice people to buy tickets. Will be interesting how many walkups they get because of that. However, TB is in a completely different situation than the Skins.

RFK -- I agree that reducing seating is in the Redskins best interests. I still believe with that a better economy/better team, ticket demand will increase from the bandwagon fans. After ten years of mediocrity and now 3 years of bad economic news, the only fans going to games right now are die hard fans for the most part. The bandwagon fans are sitting at home watching on TV or doing something else with their entertainment dollar. Just look at how hot a Capitols ticket became once they became perennial playoff contenders.

[Command The 414]

".

On a related note.....I found it quite interesting that Heinz Field last night was about half empty in the lower level for the Steelers/Eagles game. I would have expected better attendance for such an in state rivalry game. For our game against the Steelers, the lower level was almost completely full....even if 25% of them were Steeler fans.

I think it's more of a testament that Pre-Season games are not that exciting to the fans anymore (unless like me and you have 2 small children who I won't take to a regular season game) and need to be priced lower by the team or that the Pre-Season needs to be lowered from 4 games to just 2 imho.....

[RFKFedEx]

I'm afraid that any hopes we may have had for a reduction in preseason games and the cost$ associated with August football were lost with the signing of the latest CBA. I think the mandatory costs are definitely having a negative, long term impact on renewals considering 20% of a STHs invoice pays for these meaningless contests.

I could see some clubs eventually raising the price of regular season games, meanwhile reducing preseason costs simply to make it look like they're helping out the fan. However, in the long run, there would be no reduction in overall ST cost.