The cost of going to a game keeps rising
August 16, 2007
The Arizona Republic ran dozens of letters from fans explaining why they don’t go Diamondbacks games even though the team is in first place. You guessed the main reason most of them said — it costs too much.
The cost to attend a major sporting event all over the country is going up. And it’s not just the cost per seat either. Tickets everywhere are charging more extra fees for handling and convenience. Parking prices have gone up. Concession prices have gone up.
At what point will the cost of going to game get too high where fans stop going? The prices keep rising every year, but fans keep going more than ever (outside of Arizona).
As the price of going to a ballgame keeps going up, more and more fans will be like these Arizona fans, stay home and watch on TV. Hopefully. If not, they’re addicted fools who will keep feeding the owners’ pockets and tempting them to raise prices even higher.
(Hat tip to Bugs and Cranks)
Gilbert
Ben
August 16, 2007 at 9:02 pm
There’s nothing like the special joy of paying $15 to park at Dodger Stadium. Last game I went to outside of LA, I paid less for my TICKET!
Just another thing that goes wrong when your city lacks real mass transportation. I guarantee they wouldn’t be able to charge $15 for parking if fans could take a subway to the game.
August 17, 2007 at 6:31 am
Noah, Wrigley Field has wonderful mass transit – the Red Line stops half a block from the gates – but practically no parking. That doesn’t stop everyone with a vacant lot at their disposal from charging dumb suburbanites $20 – $30 for the privilege of not getting their SUV towed!
August 17, 2007 at 10:58 am
Becky, wow, I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. I never would have guessed parking at a baseball game could be that high. $20-30 is rediculous. The only time I’ve ever seen parking that high anywhere is as a special, one night fee for parking right next to a big movie premiere.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t be paying the $20-30 for parking in Chicago, because I’d be on the wonderful mass transit. (Same thing in New York, DC or the Bay Area.) Mainly, I just miss wonderful mass transit. Now I have to go catch a bus to UCLA (Parking cost now $1 per 20 minutes, apparently.)
August 17, 2007 at 11:39 am
Tickets, parking concessions and obnovious fans are all reasons to stay away. The sights, smells, sounds and other true fans are the reasons to go.
The Sultan on Sports
http://www.tsos20.wordpress.com