TBN: Annual Season Ticket Increase Hit Piece

[SackTastic]

Season ticket renewal invoices started landing yesterday, so predictably, The Buffalo News ran their thinly veiled complaint piece about price increases today.

http://sabres.buffalonews.com/2016/03/24/sabres-season-ticket-prices-going-up-again/

Birds are chirping. Flowers are rising from the ground. Sabres season-ticket prices are going up.

All three have become annual rites of spring.

The most maddening thing about this story? Vogl properly cites the reason for the annual increases, then makes the dumbest point possible.

The Sabres, who will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season, have used a clause in the collective bargaining agreement to justify their repeated increases. The CBA dictates that clubs that receive revenue sharing must keep pace with the league’s average ticket price. If the teams fall below 75 percent of the average they “shall be required to submit to the league and Revenue Sharing Oversight Committee a forward-looking three-year business plan to establish a framework for improving its financial performance.â€

However, NHL teams that have missed the playoffs in recent years have declined to raise their prices. The Toronto Maple Leafs stayed flat this year, and the Calgary Flames announced earlier this month they will not raise next year’s prices.

Since Pegula bought the team, the Sabres average ticket price has been just barely above the revenue sharing cutoff line. Ticket prices league wide are trending upward, and the annual increases are nothing more than continuing to stay above that 75% line.

His arguments about Toronto and Calgary are insane. Toronto already has the highest ticket prices in the league, and Calgary's ticket average is ABOVE the league average, so they can skip an increase and not have to worry about rev share.

I know it's TBN, and they have their axes that need grinding, but it's just ludicrous to see these every year. The Sabres aren't gouging fans on pricing. With a season ticket waiting list STILL, they could easily justify a much larger increase given the demand.

Click to read more...

 

[Dingo44]

Season ticket renewal invoices started landing yesterday, so predictably, The Buffalo News ran their thinly veiled complaint piece about price increases today.

http://sabres.buffalonews.com/2016/03/24/sabres-season-ticket-prices-going-up-again/



The most maddening thing about this story? Vogl properly cites the reason for the annual increases, then makes the dumbest point possible.



Since Pegula bought the team, the Sabres average ticket price has been just barely above the revenue sharing cutoff line. Ticket prices league wide are trending upward, and the annual increases are nothing more than continuing to stay above that 75% line.

His arguments about Toronto and Calgary are insane. Toronto already has the highest ticket prices in the league, and Calgary's ticket average is ABOVE the league average, so they can skip an increase and not have to worry about rev share.

I know it's TBN, and they have their axes that need grinding, but it's just ludicrous to see these every year. The Sabres aren't gouging fans on pricing. With a season ticket waiting list STILL, they could easily justify a much larger increase given the demand.

Plus, didn't the Sabres offset last year's increase with Sabrebucks or something? I read that elsewhere. You pay more but then get some free beers or whatever. What's the problem? I'm not sure what Vogl wants them to do as an alternative.

 

[SackTastic]

Plus, didn't the Sabres offset last year's increase with Sabrebucks or something? I read that elsewhere. You pay more but then get some free beers or whatever. What's the problem? I'm not sure what Vogl wants them to do as an alternative.

2.5% back as Sabrebucks, yes. They've done that for a few years now.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

2.5% back as Sabrebucks, yes. They've done that for a few years now.

It was 6.5% year before. Biggest problem with pricing is it's in U.S. Dollars -- I think 30% of market has been Canadians last couple of years. Of course, nothing Sabres can do about that.

 

[SackTastic]

It was 6.5% year before. Biggest problem with pricing is it's in U.S. Dollars -- I think 30% of market has been Canadians last couple of years. Of course, nothing Sabres can do about that.

Pretty sure that 6.5% Sabrebuck kickback was a one time only thing, and only if you renewed really early.

Either way, it's a nice kickback.

 

[sabremike]

Comparison from here in the Tri State area: Devils raised prices by an average of 1%, Islanders held the line and even lowered some prices. Obviously demand down here is far different than Buffalo. My Devils tixs are now $25 a game and my Isles are staying at $20 a game. My Isles tixs are actually cheaper than a ST to their AHL team in Bridgeport if you can believe that.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

Comparison from here in the Tri State area: Devils raised prices by an average of 1%, Islanders held the line and even lowered some prices. Obviously demand down here is far different than Buffalo. My Devils tixs are now $25 a game and my Isles are staying at $20 a game. My Isles tixs are actually cheaper than a ST to their AHL team in Bridgeport if you can believe that.

Sweet, maybe some people will actually buy the... no, nevermind. They probably won't.

 

[Husko]

Once they're good I hope STH prices go up, a lot.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Chad Thundercock]

The News is weird with their crusades on ticket prices, I remember them doing this back in the 90s.

If people are willing to pay to the point where sellouts are easy, then they're fair. Probably well beyond fair. I know there will be the poor people complaining about how they work hard for their 2 cents per hour of wageslavery, when the genetic trash can still ration their savings to afford tickets, that's a good sign prices are too low.

 

[cardiffgiant]

It will cost me another $400 for my 2 seats. At least the team isn't losing on purpose any more.

 

[brian_griffin]

Comparison from here in the Tri State area: Devils raised prices by an average of 1%, Islanders held the line and even lowered some prices. Obviously demand down here is far different than Buffalo. My Devils tixs are now $25 a game and my Isles are staying at $20 a game. My Isles tixs are actually cheaper than a ST to their AHL team in Bridgeport if you can believe that.

Some of those new Isles arena seats are obstructed view and not really worth being sold, period.

It will cost me another $400 for my 2 seats. At least the team isn't losing on purpose any more.

So, without taking variable pricing into account, that everages to $5 per seat/ticket, per game.

 

[SackTastic]

My only complaints :

1. The 60-ish year old guy who sits behind me who NEVER. SHUTS. UP. Complains about everything. Thinks his kid who got cut from a D2 hockey program is better than Tyler Myers. Never stays for the 3rd period unless the Sabres are winning.

2. Crap like this from The Buffalo News. I'm an adult, John. If I have comments about the value of my tickets, suggestions, improvements, etc, I'll gladly tell the people that I give my money to. Why should I tell you? What good does that do?

 

[jc17]

My only complaints :

1. The 60-ish year old guy who sits behind me who NEVER. SHUTS. UP. Complains about everything. Thinks his kid who got cut from a D2 hockey program is better than Tyler Myers. Never stays for the 3rd period unless the Sabres are winning.

At least he leaves. I think the morons behind me live in their seats.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Once they're good I hope STH prices go up, a lot.

Why? I have you been spending your money for tickets you can't unload for cost even?

Once they're good, people will start whining about not being able to afford tickets. Meanwhile I had to sell some weekday games for $45/seat on 100 level in tier II.

Could have jumped hundreds of spots on waiting list last three years, if you were willing to pull the trigger.

I feel no sadness for anybody who didn't.

 

[Husko]

Why? I have you been spending your money for tickets you can't unload for cost even?

Once they're good, people will start whining about not being able to afford tickets. Meanwhile I had to sell some weekday games for $45/seat on 100 level in tier II.

Could have jumped hundreds of spots on waiting list last three years, if you were willing to pull the trigger.

I feel no sadness for anybody who didn't.

Well I'm on the wait list and haven't gotten the call yet. And I don't live in WNY.

But the reason is because buying and reselling season tickets shouldn't be a money making scheme. It should be an option for dedicated fans that honestly want to go to 30-40 games a year. I have no sympathy for a STH complaining about not being able to 'unload games.' That's not the purpose, IMO. I'd rather have less STH generally once they're good, but I know that's not a realistic option. Also, an increase in STH price can help keep down the price of single game tickets, which I'm much more concern about.

 

[cardiffgiant]

Why? I have you been spending your money for tickets you can't unload for cost even?

Once they're good, people will start whining about not being able to afford tickets. Meanwhile I had to sell some weekday games for $45/seat on 100 level in tier II.

Could have jumped hundreds of spots on waiting list last three years, if you were willing to pull the trigger.

I feel no sadness for anybody who didn't.

I used to be able to sell for less than box office, but more than cost, but I sold a lot (most) of games that I couldn't attend for less than STH cost over the last 3 years.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Well I'm on the wait list and haven't gotten the call yet. And I don't live in WNY.

But the reason is because buying and reselling season tickets shouldn't be a money making scheme. It should be an option for dedicated fans that honestly want to go to 30-40 games a year. I have no sympathy for a STH complaining about not being able to 'unload games.' That's not the purpose, IMO. I'd rather have less STH generally once they're good, but I know that's not a realistic option. Also, an increase in STH price can help keep down the price of single game tickets, which I'm much more concern about.

So only people who can go to almost every game should be STH because 30-40 games is the whole season. Not sure what goes on your life but most people have kids, families, jobs. It's impossible.

By unload, I mean not take a loss. You have not been able to sell most games for the STH holder price for the last three years. I paid $70/ticket and sold many games for $50-$55. I sold a couple of games like Chicago and Pittsburgh and Montreal for more. My goal is to break even for season -- not in it to make money. Not sure why that would offend anyone.

STH are the reason the Sabres haven't collapsed at the box office the last few years, especially in 2014-2015. I'm not sure how low you've been on the waiting list but I was at 1,800, climbed to 1,600 and then was offered tickets. Refuse and go back to my spot deep in line.

I don't feel sorry at all for people who just buy single games. They've been buying for nothing last couple of years in secondary market -- certainly their right -- and they'll pay through the nose when the team gets better.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I used to be able to sell for less than box office, but more than cost, but I sold a lot (most) of games that I couldn't attend for less than STH cost over the last 3 years.

This is the truth. STH have major losses last three years. It'll be worth it -- that's why we're still buying.

 

[LaxSabre]

 

[Cirris]

i don't like Buffalo snooze doing their "rabble rabble rabble" routine. it's almost annual these days.

They could at least acknowledge that season ticket hikes are mandatory to meet NHL revenue sharing demands. And that not doing so would cause them to lose tens of millions in operating revenue.

It seems disingenuous to acknowledge the the league forces the Sabres hand on season ticket pricing.

Terry may be a billionaire. But you still have to run the team as a business. He can't just throw all his money away.

The fact is he already overpaid to keep the Bills in Buffalo by over a half a billion dollars. A price the Rogers vultures weren't willing to go to take the team to Toronto.

As for giveaways. pffft, it's feel good BS. Let them expand the Sabres Bucks program more. I'd rather have offsets in free food and specific merchandise over cheap plastic Chinese made junk any day.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[SackTastic]

This is the truth. STH have major losses last three years. It'll be worth it -- that's why we're still buying.

If you're a season ticket holder and you consider your purchase an investment to try and make a profit, I think you're doing it for the wrong reasons. Just my opinion though. I know a lot of people who had season tickets post lockout made enough off sales to break even or turn a profit for a couple years, but that was an anomaly. Might happen again, but who knows.

It is WAY easier now to get tickets, even with the large STH base. Once they tied the online system in directly with Stubhub, you saw the number of listings skyrocket, and it will continue to be like that.

For those that don't know about this, I'll explain. I can log in to my STH portal, select tickets for a game, and in about 4 clicks have them listed on Stubhub. Done. Don't have to physically have my tickets in front of me, deal with bar codes, etc, like you used to.

Since that integration, there have been hundreds of tickets for sale for every game I've ever looked, and everyone is undercutting because they want THEIR seats to sell. It's extremely easy now, and that large supply will keep prices depressed. Lots of folks (myself included) list tickets day of just in case they can't go. There's always inventory.

 

[SackTastic]

i don't like Buffalo snooze doing their "rabble rabble rabble" routine. it's almost annual these days.

They could at least acknowledge that season ticket hikes are mandatory to meet NHL revenue sharing demands. And that not doing so would cause them to lose tens of millions in operating revenue.

It seems disingenuous to acknowledge the the league forces the Sabres hand on season ticket pricing.

Terry may be a billionaire. But you still have to run the team as a business. He can't just throw all his money away.

The fact is he already overpaid to keep the Bills in Buffalo by over a half a billion dollars. A price the Rogers vultures weren't willing to go to take the team to Toronto.

As for giveaways. pffft, it's feel good BS. Let them expand the Sabres Bucks program more. I'd rather have offsets in free food and specific merchandise over cheap plastic Chinese made junk any day.

That's the most annoying thing about it all. Vogl actually DOES mention it (in the first story at least) , but quickly glosses over it, and doesn't mention how much money that revenue share pot actually is. Even though that's the primary factor in the increases, he treats it as a tertiary concern.

It's also an easy article for him to write, especially when you have people saying things like this:

“However, having said that, we are dismayed by the continual raising of prices every year, especially after years of poor hockey and wasted money from games we didn’t attend."

So wait, you paid money for tickets, and decided no to use them. How is that the Sabres fault? At all? There's nothing in there that says you only have to pay tickets for a GOOD team. You buy tickets to get in the building, no matter how good or bad the team may be.

And complaining that the Sabres are ignoring team history? What? More has been done since the Pegula's bought the team to celebrate the entire story of the franchise than during the entire Golisano and Rigas ownership periods. Please.

Dear fans : If you don't feel like you're getting value for your ticket dollar, then don't buy tickets. Period. Stop forking over thousands of dollars and then acting like an entitled snot after the fact.

 

[joshjull]

That's the most annoying thing about it all. Vogl actually DOES mention it (in the first story at least) , but quickly glosses over it, and doesn't mention how much money that revenue share pot actually is. Even though that's the primary factor in the increases, he treats it as a tertiary concern.

It's also an easy article for him to write, especially when you have people saying things like this:



So wait, you paid money for tickets, and decided no to use them. How is that the Sabres fault? At all? There's nothing in there that says you only have to pay tickets for a GOOD team. You buy tickets to get in the building, no matter how good or bad the team may be.

And complaining that the Sabres are ignoring team history? What? More has been done since the Pegula's bought the team to celebrate the entire story of the franchise than during the entire Golisano and Rigas ownership periods. Please.

Dear fans : If you don't feel like you're getting value for your ticket dollar, then don't buy tickets. Period. Stop forking over thousands of dollars and then acting like an entitled snot after the fact.

What an obnoxious set of rants.


-Its perfectly legit to want more from the game day presentations.
-Its perfectly legit to want to see more of the team's history celebrated and brought into the game days.
-Its perfectly legit to think theme nights would be a fun add to the game day experience.
-Its perfectly legit to want to be able to sell your tickets and at least get your ST price back if you can't make a game or sell games to help you afford your ST package. (which is what most want to do, not to use the tix as a profit center).
-Its perfectly legit to complain about the lack of soap or paper towels in the bathrooms. Because it actually is an issue much more than it should be.
-Its also perfectly legit to point out the team very much takes the fan loyalty for granted when it comes to season tickets holders.

When I was growing up they had the open practice, Sabres carnival, skills competition, etc. Thats not even a season ticket holder thing. Thats just a general fan appreciation thing.


Holding any of these opinions in no way makes someone an entitled snot. Nor are those opinions an indictment of the Pegulas or mean anyone espousing them dislikes them or is diminishing what they've done. Your stance seems to be you bought the tickets now shut up and sit down.



I became a STH after the full season lockout. I could finally afford them with my dad and brother. The 2 tickets cost roughly $3600 that year. Next year I believe they will surpass $5500 for the season. I think its fairly reasonable to ask for a few things when the cost goes up like that. Especially since the product hasn't been all that great for the bulk of the seasons.