Wednesday, August 23, 2017

An anecdotal ticket demand story

Two weeks ago the University of Georgia sent me an emailing inviting me to buy season tickets for this year. If UGA is sending me ticketing emails, you know the marketplace for tickets is changing.

For some background, Georgia sent me the email because I am technically an alum. I have never bought tickets for any UGA event through the school and have never donated. I should be low, low, low on any priority list. But the SEC Power with a huge fanbase is chasing ticket buyers because the demand for the ingame experience is changing. The secondary ticket market is now trusted, easy to use and so efficient that you can go to most of the games you want to attend and skip the uninteresting games, all at close to the face value of the tickets.

It wasn't always this way at Georgia. When I was a grad student in the mid-00s, there was a waiting list for regular season ticket packages and grad students could enter a lottery for the chance to purchase student season tickets. The odds weren't good and the demand was high.

If UGA is wasting their time with me, I can only imagine things are even tougher at BC. Our fanbase is smaller and our local sports and entertainment market is more competitive.

There is something great about attending a game in person. You see things you can't see on TV and their is the unique energy of a crowd. If I lived in New England I would probably have season tickets. But I understand why more don't. There is really little need to commit like that.

It will be interesting to see how attendance is for BC this year. Winning will help. So will the new booze policy. But there will be challenges. Hopefully Jarmond will be more aggressive and creative than the folks at Georgia.

15 comments:

John said...

Speaking of that, I get invitations from Georgia Tech. I'll be at the GT vs TN game at the brand new Mercedes Benz Stadium on 9/4. Also in November VT at GT and UGA at GT.

I used to have BC season tickets for probably 45 years, but the dumbing down of our schedule was a turnoff.

Only winning will bring me back. Flying from ATL to BOS for Howard? Wagner? That's where they lost my Flynn Fund participation. 50 yard line seats for that? Not worth the cost of a flight for 2, hotel for several days or a week, meals, etc.

This year schedule is good, but BC must show an upward trajectory.

Knucklehead said...

Bullshit.

JBQ said...

@Knucklehead: And what is your displeasure? Please elucidate or are you beyond elucidation? Are you also against "motherhood and apple pie"? The comment by "John" is a good one and the posting by "Atlanta" is pretty straightforward. So, what's the problem? Did you run out of Wheaties?

Knucklehead said...

Do I have to spell it out for you? B. U. L. L. S. H. I. T.

I am against constant self aggrandizement.

Geezer eagle said...

Knucklehead, please take an antidepressant or seek anger-management therapy. You've gone off the rails.

NEDofSavinHill said...

BC should attract about 200,000 this year. 44 for ND, 40 for FSU, 30 for VT,Wake and NC ST. Maybe 28 for Cent Mich. If Dillon turns out to be the next H. Walker( not Herbert Walker Bush) but the UGA Walker they will win many games and attract more fans. 2. Daz sounds quite optimistic. Ordinarily one would discount his rosey view based on past overstated claims. This year who knows. TOB had praise for the assistant coaches. He said the only thing missing was quality QB play. If the team gets that the ceiling is high. Hope springs eternal.

chicagofire1871 said...

I don't think the schedule is that much easier than in "the good old days". For one, we play more games now, so imagine Wagner as a pre-season contest. Then the rest of the schedule has more conference games than the Big East had and the ACC is top to bottom stronger. Wake and NC State are better programs than Temple and Rutgers. People bitching about the schedule aren't remembering clearly. If anything B.C. Is less competitive as a program the past decade, but that's a different argument.

TGS said...

Dick(K)head hates people like John who've lived successful lives. He is a bitter loser that wants to confiscate others income via draconian tax rates. Christ, he's a founding member of ANTIFA.

bceagle91 said...

I wonder how the ticket prices have changed over the last decade versus inflation. I'd imagine tickets have gone up faster. Differential pricing based on opponent makes that a tough comparison.

BTW, the "booze policy" doesn't exist. You can't buy booze at Alumni. Beer and wine, yes. If they start selling single malt scotch, you could have some adventurous rides home.

curranac said...

The lack of predictability with kickoff times due to TV is a pain and can't help ticket sales anywhere, UGA or BC. I'm planning to take my kids to the BC game on the road for Louisville, but the time won't be announced for several more weeks. Unfortunately that doesn't lend itself to families with kids playing sports of their own.

John said...

I guess I might have come across as sort of a pompous a$$, which I am not. At least I don't think so.

I will say that I have been a rabid Eagles fan since my high school days. I can't believe how fast I got here, and still feel as though I'm still in my 40's - but this year is my 50th Reunion Year from BC. Unreal!

I have retired twice and still do consulting work because I enjoy it. I can afford Flynn Fund season tickets because I'm fortunate that the habits I picked up at BC worked out for me.

I can also be disappointed in my Athletic Dept over the last 8 years probably - at least. 10 perhaps.

If I lived in the area I would never have given up my season tickets. I was just pointing out that flying up for a game wasn't very appealing anymore.

I am optimistic this year. Sometimes you have to give a thing up before it turns around. I think BC will surprise people this year.

But it wasn't until I moved away and stopped caring about the Red Sox and Patriots that they started winning. ☺️

So I'm hoping that I'll help to jump start the Eagles too.😁

Go BC - come out of the gates fast in two weeks!

Big Jack Krack

knucklehead said...

Bullshit is bullshit. Whether it comes from someone successful like krack says he is or from someone whose "son" makes poor life decisions under the direction of his "father."

knucklehead said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
knucklehead said...

Lots of "I"'s.

Napolean Bonaparte said...

It's the millennials. They aren't into the things that interested their parents to nearly the same degree such as sports, cars, big houses, etc. Their interests are dominated by technology and social media. As we die off and they occupy a larger share of the market - there will be major changes in the $$ earned by football. It has already begun.