In the wake of the PR nightmare that was this season’s first homestand — when entire field-level sections were completely empty — the Yankees have announced that they’ll lower the price of 13 percent of their tickets next season, while 84 percent of them (including all non-Suite seats in the bleachers and upper deck) will remain the same. For example, the first level of non-premium seating, which currently costs $325, will now be $250 or $235, depending on the location. And the well-publicized $2,500 Legends Suite tickets will be dropped to $1,500. So, you know, bring the whole family. Only the 1,700 seats that surround the Delta Suite will be raised, from $100 to $125 per game.
Of course, even goodwill gestures that double as savvy PR moves are open to criticism. As Was Watching points out, would it have killed the Yankees to leave those $100 tickets alone? Granted, the roughly $3.5 million they could make by increasing the price could buy them, in Yankeeland, a third-string catcher. But we’d love to have heard the discussion in the Yankees’ offices when that decision was made. “Sure, some of our tickets were overpriced. But only $100 to watch a baseball game from the second deck? We’re practically giving these away! This needs to be fixed!” And so it was.
Exclusive: Yankees Ticket Prices Coming Down For ‘10 Season [Sports Biz/CNBC]
New York Yankees announce 2010 full-season ticket pricing [Yankees.com]