April 11, 2013 by Charlie Eisenhood in Livewire, Opinion with 15 comments
A surprisingly under-discussed aspect of the professional leagues is their ticket prices. Sludge Ultimate did a comparative analysis and found some interesting results. Major League Ultimate’s season ticket prices, when looked at in terms of price per game, are nearly double those of the American Ultimate Disc League, at a whopping $16/ticket.
I understand the MLU’s conception of “Act As If,” but I think they are being quite aggressive with such a pricey admission fee. There’s not even a discount for buying season tickets — single game prices are $16 as well!
It doesn’t cost that much to go to a minor league baseball game, and, often, even a major league game. A quick search on StubHub and I see that I can go to a New York Mets game for $8 tomorrow. (Cue Mets jokes!)
Want to see the Yankees play the Indians tonight? $6 please. In fact, for $13, I can sit in the lower deck, first base side with a spectacular view.
It seems a little bit crazy that ticket prices are so high for games in small high-school stadiums.
In major metropolitan markets, there are a lot of things to do on a Saturday night. Going to an Ultimate game — already a stretch for anyone outside the sport — seems a little less attractive when it costs as much as a nice meal or a concert.
I think the AUDL’s Madison Radicals have the right idea here. Their ticket price? $5.
Well, they’re going to lose money right? They’re betting that food and beer will make up that difference.
Ask yourself: are you willing to spend $16 on a ticket to an ultimate game? Maybe once, just to check it out. Are you willing to spend $5? Yep, and you might just buy the $35 dollar season tickets (8 games) at that price.
