Post-Game Talk: Belzebubs defeat Meanfish 3-2, Start season 3-0

[Jack Be Quick]

It's a double edged sword. The shortened season after the lockout almost every game was sold out but there were giveaways left and right. There's free tickets and ridiculous deals all the time. Plus the secondary market is super cheap. There were tons of un-sold tickets under $20 each on Stubhub yesterday. After a while we have to blame our fans for sucking and not wanting to come to games. Also, the more tickets the give away, the more season ticket holders feel slighted for the money they put out. There's no solution to this. The whole experience is just too expensive for a lot of people.

Yesterday I got two tickets- $40. Parking- $30. 5 pc Chicken fingers and fries and a water- $21. Fiance got hot dog, fries, beer -$27 (WHAT). Two sodas later in the game- $12. Add $6 in Turnpike tolls and you get $130.
That's fine every once in a while... but for someone like me... 31 years old with a fiance and we are paying for our own wedding from scratch . We won't be making it to more than like 5-10 games at the most this year. If you use that scenario for a family with kids then you're talking about $200-400 per game which is crazy.

I think that's the case for a lot of people. I see less and less people in their 20s getting married and having kids and buying houses. That's now happening in the 28-35 age range. Less and less disposable income in a state where it's more and more expensive every day just to live in. I honestly don't know if there's any solution. Not counting playoffs, the attendance for every team in this area sucks. MSG was half empty against the Oilers... NYC on a Saturday... even if the Rangers aren't good there's no way the place should be half empty. The Red Bulls had a down year in attendance. NYCFC has lost season ticket holders and their attendance has gone down every year. Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are half empty until the playoffs. Islanders tickets are dirt cheap and no one is going to games. I am really starting to think NYC/NJ is not a great sports town haha.

I get that you wanted to enjoy the game the way you wanted to, but center ice, row 3, 200's were available on Thu for $12 at one point. Parking on the street or in one of the lots a few blocks away from the arena will save you $20-$30, eating decent food before and after the game - I can go 2.5 hours without eating, especially that stuff - saves another $30, subtracting the soda $12. So you and your fiance could have done it and had decent seats, water and beer for ~$54, a family of 4 for ~$100. My father's had Jets season tickets since I was 12 and we were never allowed to purchase anything in the stadium unless it was with our own money.

Not dumping on you, and I certainly understand the desire to splurge as I've spent thousands on single events before, just pointing out that it can be done relatively affordably.

NYC has always been somewhat of a frontrunning town. There are too many options to be wasting your money on a mediocre product. The Yankees are the outlier because they're competitive, but I chalk that up to the general declining interest in baseball. If the Nets or the Knicks put a star or 2 on the floor those seats would fill up quick.

 

[BenedictGomez]

There were a ton of empties in the 200s. 226 and similar sections were almost completely empty.

That's what happens when they charge stupid prices for the worst seats in the house.

Get ready for deja vu tomorrow night.

Mostly pink & blue.

 

[BenedictGomez]

After going to two games at Bell Centre and just buying tickets in Toronto for the Devils game next month, I will never complain about Devils prices again. $45-50 for a seat in the upper level against the Sharks on a Sunday is not a bad deal.

This is a bit like being surprised that lobster is $3.99 a pound in Maine, and $23.99 a pound in California.

 

[devilsblood]

There were a ton of empties in the 200s. 226 and similar sections were almost completely empty.

Yet the lower bowl looked pretty well filled in.

Which is the opposite of normal for the Dev's.

 

[HischierSeDgewOrk]

Was at the game yesterday and definitely looked/felt like more than 13k

 

[Devils Dominion]

IMO, a loud and engaged crowd of 13k Devils fans is much better than a quiet gathering of 16k where fans sit on their hands.

Obviously from a biz perspective the organization prefers more seats filled, ideally, we average 16k loud and hockey savy fans.

 

[njdevil26]

Get ready for deja vu tomorrow night.

Mostly pink & blue.

This is honestly depressing to look at.... but with these things considered, $42 plus fees (ends up being like $50) is too much for section 232 on a Tuesday night against the Stars.

I really think they are doing this on purpose to force people to buy season tickets.

 

[Devils Dominion]

This is honestly depressing to look at.... but with these things considered, $42 plus fees (ends up being like $50) is too much for section 232 on a Tuesday night against the Stars.

I really think they are doing this on purpose to force people to buy season tickets.

Take advantage of the secondary market pricing for games like this.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Those tickets will be ~$10 at 5:30 on Tue. It's really not an issue.

Let the Devils make what they can at the prices they want and the secondary market will fill in the gaps.

It's a Tue in mid-October against a team from Texas. If this were February with the team in the playoff hunt I'd be concerned.

 

[devilsfan35]

Has it been confirmed that Kinkaid is starting next game?

 

[indfin]

This is honestly depressing to look at.... but with these things considered, $42 plus fees (ends up being like $50) is too much for section 232 on a Tuesday night against the Stars.

I really think they are doing this on purpose to force people to buy season tickets.

Well, then they probably need to clean house in their entire marketing department. Why buy season tickets when you can purchase many games at or below sth cost (clearly, in some cases, indirectly through the team)? If they want to increase the value of season tickets, then they need to tickets at a level where they sell out regularly (obviously season ticket cost should then still be slightly below that level). When people know that they better buy season tickets, or a partial, to guarantee themselves the games that they want (without paying up on the secondary market), then you have created value for the sth

 

[BenedictGomez]

This is honestly depressing to look at.... but with these things considered, $42 plus fees (ends up being like $50) is too much for section 232 on a Tuesday night against the Stars.

I really think they are doing this on purpose to force people to buy season tickets.

Well, if they are it's not working. What's it's doing is it's driving people to.......

Take advantage of the secondary market pricing for games like this.

this.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Well, then they probably need to clean house in their entire marketing department. Why buy season tickets when you can purchase many games at or below sth cost (clearly, in some cases, indirectly through the team)? If they want to increase the value of season tickets, then they need to tickets at a level where they sell out regularly (obviously season ticket cost should then still be slightly below that level). When people know that they better buy season tickets, or a partial, to guarantee themselves the games that they want (without paying up on the secondary market), then you have created value for the sth

I'm not disagreeing with your post but you're blaming the wrong department

Marketing does not set the pricing.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Look at it this way, you go food shopping on Sunday and buy steaks for $50. But on Monday you realize you forgot a few items so you head back to the same store. As you're walking through you notice the exact same steaks for $25. Why are those steaks now $25? Is it because they weren't worth $50 to someone? Obviously not, you bought them for just that price. Now Bob walks in and either couldn't afford them at $50 or didn't think they were worth that price, but at $25 it's a different story. Now, are you going to begrudge Bob, complain to management, or disavow the store altogether? I don't see why you would, it's just business and you either purchased them at the wrong time or found benefits in getting them when you did and how you did.

Before anyone claims this is a false equivalency, keep in mind that it is highly likely that it's the Devils themselves dumping these tickets on the secondary market either directly or through brokers. It was the 6'ers after all who were the first team to announce a partnership with stubhub.

BTW, tickets for tomorrow night are already at $13.50 upstairs and $23 downstairs.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We go through this every year.

October to Thanksgiving will have the lowest attendance of the season. It picks up from Thanksgiving to New Years. Then there will be many high attendance games later in the season especially if the team remains good. Wash rinse repeat.

It’s not an issue anymore since Devils ticket prices are probably league average now.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Well, then they probably need to clean house in their entire marketing department. Why buy season tickets when you can purchase many games at or below sth cost

Yup. I may just buy these < $20 tickets for one of games this week, and then use my eyes to "upgrade" my seating.

 

[NjDevsRR]

My price point for my season tickets in section 104 is good. I made good money off of many games I sold last year. Also my pricing for playoff tickets was a steal. Along with many other perks I am really enjoying my 7th year as a STH.

 

[Scorcho]

The Tat shop is on Route 46 in Rockaway Boro, fyi

As much as i love that the tattoo artist is a devil's fan...he's just not the greatest artist imo :shrug:

 

[indfin]

Those tickets will be ~$10 at 5:30 on Tue. It's really not an issue.

Let the Devils make what they can at the prices they want and the secondary market will fill in the gaps.

It's a Tue in mid-October against a team from Texas. If this were February with the team in the playoff hunt I'd be concerned.

Well ... if it's a true secondary market, it isn't "filling in the gaps" as it means someone who bought a ticket is likely now taking a loss ... making that person less likely to buy again. Maybe it bumps turnstile attendance (if the ticket would otherwise go unused).

Of course, if it's the Devils dumping a bunch of "primary" seats in the secondary market (as is likely), then cutting those prices dramatically will boost attendance (a little), while reminding season ticket holders of the true cost of their season tickets.

 

[indfin]

I'm not disagreeing with your post but you're blaming the wrong department

Marketing does not set the pricing.

My bad ... I was lumping in sales/marketing, thinking of ""marketing" including "market research" who should be helping them on pricing.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Well ... if it's a true secondary market, it isn't "filling in the gaps" as it means someone who bought a ticket is likely now taking a loss ... making that person less likely to buy again. Maybe it bumps turnstile attendance (if the ticket would otherwise go unused).

Of course, if it's the Devils dumping a bunch of "primary" seats in the secondary market (as is likely), then cutting those prices dramatically will boost attendance (a little), while reminding season ticket holders of the true cost of their season tickets.

It is filling in the gaps though as without it you may be looking at 10k instead of 12-13. Do some season ticketholders get pissed off and not renew? I'm sure, but there's always a new crop. That and I believe most season ticket holders know what's going on and don't care enough to cancel for that reason alone. I know I didn't when I had them for 5 seasons because I thought the perks and knowing my neighbors were worth it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Of course, if it's the Devils dumping a bunch of "primary" seats in the secondary market (as is likely), then cutting those prices dramatically will boost attendance (a little), while reminding season ticket holders of the true cost of their season tickets.

The average STH does not logically think about it from this cost-benefit analysis. Which is a good thing for the Devils, or there'd be fewer STH.

I can get low mezzanine side tix for tomorrow & Thursday for about $27. What is the STH cost on those, something like $50 probably (the box office price is $60)?

 

[Better Call Sal]

Everyone better remember that Goldblum got us here yesterday.

 

[Its a Trap]

After going to two games at Bell Centre and just buying tickets in Toronto for the Devils game next month, I will never complain about Devils prices again. $45-50 for a seat in the upper level against the Sharks on a Sunday is not a bad deal.

It’s not a bad deal but it isn’t a good deal either when you think about how they were 40 bucks just 3/4 years ago. Factor in food/beverage prices and the cost it takes to go and people will just sit at home and watch on tv. Or I could spend the extra 20 bucks to have an incredibly better seat in the 100s.

The change in seating capacity was a laughable attempt by Harris/Blitzer to try and portray the building as being more full when it’s really they’re just fudging the numbers more.

In 1989 the entire lower bowl at the Meadowlands was $28. It was all one price for all (if I remember correctly 28 rows) in the lower bowl. Adjusted for inflation $28 in 1989 is $57.31 today.

I don't think you can sit in the lower for less than $60 can you?

Well the base value of the ticket can be under that, but with site fees you’re looking at 60 minimum.

 

[Devils Dominion]

It’s not a bad deal but it isn’t a good deal either when you think about how they were 40 bucks just 3/4 years ago. Factor in food/beverage prices and the cost it takes to go and people will just sit at home and watch on tv. Or I could spend the extra 20 bucks to have an incredibly better seat in the 100s.

The change in seating capacity was a laughable attempt by Harris/Blitzer to try and portray the building as being more full when it’s really they’re just fudging the numbers more.



Well the base value of the ticket can be under that, but with site fees you’re looking at 60 minimum.

Not agreeing on disagreeing but did you do an actual seat count to back up your claim?