The Starting Line-Up: Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins
We are excited to announce that both the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Baseball Clubs are operating on the ProVenue ticketing platform. Both the Twins and Royals started their 2010 season on-sales and single game ticket purchases in ProVenue.
"The decision to migrate to ProVenue was an easy one when you realize the technological potential the new Tickets.com platform possesses. As with any ticketing system change, we realized the process would have its challenges. However with the help and support of Tickets.com, we are working together and making positive strides every day. We now look forward to building off the core system so we can capitalize on the current ticketing trends that are in line with our business needs," said Larry Chu, Senior Director Ticket Operations, Kansas City Royals.
Congratulations to the Minnesota Twins in their new home at Target Field!
Showing posts with label baseball tickets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball tickets. Show all posts
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Twins to Begin Selling Single-Game Tickets for Games at Target Field
The Twins on Saturday will begin selling single-game tickets to the public for this season. The series against the Red Sox that will open Target Field is sold out. Ticket availability in the 39,504-seat ballpark will be "limited by an unprecedented season-ticket sale of about 22,000 and the ability of each season-ticket account holder to buy an additional eight tickets per game during a two-day sale earlier this week."
Monday, February 15, 2010
Washington Nationals individual tickets on sale Tuesday, March 2 at 10:00am
Team Announces Full Promotional Schedule and Discounts for 2010 Season
The Washington Nationals announced individual tickets for the 2010 season at Nationals Park will be available on Tuesday, March 2 at 10:00am. Tickets may be purchased at the Nationals Park Main Box Office, located at Half and N Street, SE, by calling 888.632.NATS(6287) or by logging on to nationals.com. Nationals Season Ticket Holders will receive information on a presale opportunity prior to the public on-sale. Individual ticket prices range from $5 to $325, with $5 tickets available only at the Nationals Park Box Office on the day of the game. The ballclub also released their robust promotional schedule and standing discounts for the 2010 season.
Nationals fans will receive promotional items on 24 separate dates at the ballpark with something for everyone, including three bobblehead nights presented by PNC Bank (Ryan Zimmerman, Nyjer Morgan and a fan choice), six T-Shirt Tuesdays and five giveaways designed specifically for children under the age of 12. The ballclub continues the tradition of an Opening Day giveaway with the first 20,000 fans to enter the ballpark on April 5 receiving a replica Batting Practice Hat, courtesy of GEICO. The team will conclude the season with Knit Beanies for fans on the final game of 2010, deemed Fan Appreciation Night. Popular pre- and post-game events including Friday Night Fireworks (postgame), Signature Sundays (pregame) and Kids Run the Bases (Sundays postgame) will also return to Nationals Park in 2010.
The Nationals will continue to offer standing discounts throughout the '10 season with the College Super Saver, Harris Teeter Vic Card Tuesdays, Washington Post Wednesdays, Miller Lite Party Night and Sunday Family Fun Packs returning from 2009.
College Super Saver - College Students with a valid college I.D. may purchase a ticket priced at $10 or more at 50-percent off the normal price in April and September. Available on all non-prime, non-holiday Monday through Thursday games at the Nationals Park Box Office, day of game only. Limit one ticket per I.D.
Harris Teeter Tuesdays - Fans may present their Harris Teeter VIC Card at the Nationals Park Box Office and receive $5 off tickets valued at $24 or more. Four ticket maximum per VIC Card.
Washington Post Wednesdays - Every Wednesday fans may receive $5 off tickets valued at $24 or more by presenting the front page of that day's The Washington Post at the Nationals Park Box Office. Two ticket maximum - only valid for that day's game.
Miller Lite Party Night - On Thursdays and Fridays fans may purchase a Scoreboard Pavilion seat and a drink voucher for the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Bar for $20 ($22 for prime games), normal value of $29.50 ($31.50 for prime games).
Family Fun Pack - For all Sunday home games, fans may purchase a $14 Upper Right Field Terrace ticket or $25 Outfield Reserved ticket that includes a hot dog, Coca-Cole/Dasani beverage and chips. Minimum of two tickets per purchase. Available in advance at nationals.com, via telephone or at the Box Office, as well as on the day of the game.
For all non-prime, non-holiday Monday through Thursday games, senior citizens, government employees, active members of the military and college students may receive a $3 discount off any ticket priced at $10 or more. Limit of one ticket per person with valid I.D. at Nationals Park Box Office, day-of- game only.
2010 Season Ticket Packages are currently on sale and include tickets to the April 3 exhibition game vs. the Boston Red Sox at 50 percent off the listed season ticket price. Excellent season ticket locations are available throughout the ballpark. Fans who are interested in becoming Nationals full- (82), half- (42), or partial- (22) season ticket holders or mini planholders (14, 13 and 10 games), may secure their seats by calling 202.675.NATS(6287) - Option #1 or by visiting nationals.com. Don't miss a minute of the excitement at Nationals Park, including great plays by Nationals players Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman and Nyjer Morgan.
The Washington Nationals announced individual tickets for the 2010 season at Nationals Park will be available on Tuesday, March 2 at 10:00am. Tickets may be purchased at the Nationals Park Main Box Office, located at Half and N Street, SE, by calling 888.632.NATS(6287) or by logging on to nationals.com. Nationals Season Ticket Holders will receive information on a presale opportunity prior to the public on-sale. Individual ticket prices range from $5 to $325, with $5 tickets available only at the Nationals Park Box Office on the day of the game. The ballclub also released their robust promotional schedule and standing discounts for the 2010 season.
Nationals fans will receive promotional items on 24 separate dates at the ballpark with something for everyone, including three bobblehead nights presented by PNC Bank (Ryan Zimmerman, Nyjer Morgan and a fan choice), six T-Shirt Tuesdays and five giveaways designed specifically for children under the age of 12. The ballclub continues the tradition of an Opening Day giveaway with the first 20,000 fans to enter the ballpark on April 5 receiving a replica Batting Practice Hat, courtesy of GEICO. The team will conclude the season with Knit Beanies for fans on the final game of 2010, deemed Fan Appreciation Night. Popular pre- and post-game events including Friday Night Fireworks (postgame), Signature Sundays (pregame) and Kids Run the Bases (Sundays postgame) will also return to Nationals Park in 2010.
The Nationals will continue to offer standing discounts throughout the '10 season with the College Super Saver, Harris Teeter Vic Card Tuesdays, Washington Post Wednesdays, Miller Lite Party Night and Sunday Family Fun Packs returning from 2009.
College Super Saver - College Students with a valid college I.D. may purchase a ticket priced at $10 or more at 50-percent off the normal price in April and September. Available on all non-prime, non-holiday Monday through Thursday games at the Nationals Park Box Office, day of game only. Limit one ticket per I.D.
Harris Teeter Tuesdays - Fans may present their Harris Teeter VIC Card at the Nationals Park Box Office and receive $5 off tickets valued at $24 or more. Four ticket maximum per VIC Card.
Washington Post Wednesdays - Every Wednesday fans may receive $5 off tickets valued at $24 or more by presenting the front page of that day's The Washington Post at the Nationals Park Box Office. Two ticket maximum - only valid for that day's game.
Miller Lite Party Night - On Thursdays and Fridays fans may purchase a Scoreboard Pavilion seat and a drink voucher for the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Bar for $20 ($22 for prime games), normal value of $29.50 ($31.50 for prime games).
Family Fun Pack - For all Sunday home games, fans may purchase a $14 Upper Right Field Terrace ticket or $25 Outfield Reserved ticket that includes a hot dog, Coca-Cole/Dasani beverage and chips. Minimum of two tickets per purchase. Available in advance at nationals.com, via telephone or at the Box Office, as well as on the day of the game.
For all non-prime, non-holiday Monday through Thursday games, senior citizens, government employees, active members of the military and college students may receive a $3 discount off any ticket priced at $10 or more. Limit of one ticket per person with valid I.D. at Nationals Park Box Office, day-of- game only.
2010 Season Ticket Packages are currently on sale and include tickets to the April 3 exhibition game vs. the Boston Red Sox at 50 percent off the listed season ticket price. Excellent season ticket locations are available throughout the ballpark. Fans who are interested in becoming Nationals full- (82), half- (42), or partial- (22) season ticket holders or mini planholders (14, 13 and 10 games), may secure their seats by calling 202.675.NATS(6287) - Option #1 or by visiting nationals.com. Don't miss a minute of the excitement at Nationals Park, including great plays by Nationals players Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman and Nyjer Morgan.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Cubs single-game tickets on sale Feb. 19
Purchase at cubs.com at 10 a.m. CT; box office at 8 a.m.
MLB.com
By Carrie Muskat
Mark your calendars, Cubs fans. Individual-game tickets for the 2010 regular season will go on sale Feb. 19.
Tickets will be available for purchase in the following methods:
Via the Internet: Visitors to cubs.com can purchase tickets beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 19.
A virtual waiting room will be used for all Internet orders. The virtual waiting room will begin accepting customers at 9:30 a.m. CT on Feb. 19. At 10 a.m. CT, customers will be randomly selected from the virtual waiting room to begin purchasing tickets. All Internet customers will need a valid cubs.com account. Customers should sign up for an account prior to Feb. 19.
Outlet ticket sales will begin at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 22 at Chicagoland Tickets.com Outlets.
At the Wrigley Field Box Office: Tickets will go on sale at 8 a.m. CT, and a random wristband system will be used. There will be no advantage to camping out at the ballpark, as initial position in lines will be established by a random drawing of all wristbands distributed prior to 6 a.m. CT on Feb. 19.
Wristbands will be available at Wrigley Field from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. CT on Feb. 17 and from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. CT on Feb. 18. There is a limit of one wristband per person. You will be required to show two forms of identification, one of which needs to be a government-issued photo ID. The wristbands will only be used at Wrigley Field on Feb. 19.
A random drawing will be held shortly after 6 a.m. CT on Feb. 19 to determine the starting number for the ticket lines. The winning number will immediately be announced on WGN Radio (720 AM) and cubs.com. All other numbers will follow the selected number.
By telephone: Tickets can be purchased by telephone through tickets.com beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 19. The tickets.com phone number for Illinois callers is 800-The-Cubs (800-843-2827). The phone number for out-of-state callers is 866-652-2827.
Ticket limits: From Feb. 19-21, various ticket limits will be put in place. These limits will be imposed based on various factors, including customer name, household, credit card and e-mail address. Internet customers who use computer-based scripting language may have all orders canceled.
• There will be a limit of six tickets per game.
• At the Wrigley Field Box Office, fans will be limited to ordering a maximum of 42 tickets.
• Internet and phone customers will be limited to one game per order of up to six tickets. Internet and phone customers will be limited to a maximum of 42 tickets for the weekend. All customers who order more than this limit may have all orders canceled.
All Bud Light bleacher tickets sold at Wrigley Field on Feb. 19 will be by credit card only (Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express). Credit cards used during the on-sale must be in the name of the ticket purchaser.
In an effort to provide the best ticket availability for Cubs fans, all customers when receiving a wristband on Feb. 17 or Feb. 18 and while purchasing tickets at Wrigley Field on Feb. 19 will be required to show two forms of identification, one of which needs to be a government-issued photo ID.
For updated ticket pricing, please visit cubs.com.
MLB.com
By Carrie Muskat
Mark your calendars, Cubs fans. Individual-game tickets for the 2010 regular season will go on sale Feb. 19.
Tickets will be available for purchase in the following methods:
Via the Internet: Visitors to cubs.com can purchase tickets beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 19.
A virtual waiting room will be used for all Internet orders. The virtual waiting room will begin accepting customers at 9:30 a.m. CT on Feb. 19. At 10 a.m. CT, customers will be randomly selected from the virtual waiting room to begin purchasing tickets. All Internet customers will need a valid cubs.com account. Customers should sign up for an account prior to Feb. 19.
Outlet ticket sales will begin at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 22 at Chicagoland Tickets.com Outlets.
At the Wrigley Field Box Office: Tickets will go on sale at 8 a.m. CT, and a random wristband system will be used. There will be no advantage to camping out at the ballpark, as initial position in lines will be established by a random drawing of all wristbands distributed prior to 6 a.m. CT on Feb. 19.
Wristbands will be available at Wrigley Field from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. CT on Feb. 17 and from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. CT on Feb. 18. There is a limit of one wristband per person. You will be required to show two forms of identification, one of which needs to be a government-issued photo ID. The wristbands will only be used at Wrigley Field on Feb. 19.
A random drawing will be held shortly after 6 a.m. CT on Feb. 19 to determine the starting number for the ticket lines. The winning number will immediately be announced on WGN Radio (720 AM) and cubs.com. All other numbers will follow the selected number.
By telephone: Tickets can be purchased by telephone through tickets.com beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 19. The tickets.com phone number for Illinois callers is 800-The-Cubs (800-843-2827). The phone number for out-of-state callers is 866-652-2827.
Ticket limits: From Feb. 19-21, various ticket limits will be put in place. These limits will be imposed based on various factors, including customer name, household, credit card and e-mail address. Internet customers who use computer-based scripting language may have all orders canceled.
• There will be a limit of six tickets per game.
• At the Wrigley Field Box Office, fans will be limited to ordering a maximum of 42 tickets.
• Internet and phone customers will be limited to one game per order of up to six tickets. Internet and phone customers will be limited to a maximum of 42 tickets for the weekend. All customers who order more than this limit may have all orders canceled.
All Bud Light bleacher tickets sold at Wrigley Field on Feb. 19 will be by credit card only (Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express). Credit cards used during the on-sale must be in the name of the ticket purchaser.
In an effort to provide the best ticket availability for Cubs fans, all customers when receiving a wristband on Feb. 17 or Feb. 18 and while purchasing tickets at Wrigley Field on Feb. 19 will be required to show two forms of identification, one of which needs to be a government-issued photo ID.
For updated ticket pricing, please visit cubs.com.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Milwaukee Brewers Reach 3 Million Tickets Sold Milestone for 2009
The Milwaukee Brewers this morning reached 3 million total tickets sold for the 2009 season. It is the second consecutive season the Brewers have reached the 3 million ticket plateau and the second time in team history.
The Brewers currently have sold out 27 games on the season and through 65 home games have a season attendance of 2,480,233. The Brewers average attendance of 38,157 currently ranks eighth- highest in all of Major League Baseball. Last season, the Brewers established a franchise attendance record with 3,068,458.
"Reaching three million tickets sold is the ultimate testament to Brewers fans, and it speaks volumes about their loyalty to the team and passion for the game," said Brewers Executive Vice President Rick Schlesinger. "We thank all of the fans who have come out this season, and we will continue to make the Miller Park experience the very best in baseball."
The Brewers have 16 home games left in the 2009 regular season. Tickets remain for all future home games, but advance purchase is encouraged. Individual tickets may be purchased online at brewers.com, the Miller Park Box Office, all tickets.com outlets and by calling 414-902-4000 or 800-933-7890.
The Brewers currently have sold out 27 games on the season and through 65 home games have a season attendance of 2,480,233. The Brewers average attendance of 38,157 currently ranks eighth- highest in all of Major League Baseball. Last season, the Brewers established a franchise attendance record with 3,068,458.
"Reaching three million tickets sold is the ultimate testament to Brewers fans, and it speaks volumes about their loyalty to the team and passion for the game," said Brewers Executive Vice President Rick Schlesinger. "We thank all of the fans who have come out this season, and we will continue to make the Miller Park experience the very best in baseball."
The Brewers have 16 home games left in the 2009 regular season. Tickets remain for all future home games, but advance purchase is encouraged. Individual tickets may be purchased online at brewers.com, the Miller Park Box Office, all tickets.com outlets and by calling 414-902-4000 or 800-933-7890.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Print Your Detroit Tigers Tickets at Home
Print at Home tickets - conveniently print authentic Detroit Tigers tickets on your home or office printer. Choose "Print Tickets at Home" as your method of ticket delivery and receive an email with your tickets. Your Print at Home Ticket scans like a traditional ticket and enables you to avoid waiting in will call lines. Save time by printing your Detroit Tigers baseball tickets on your home or office printer when you purchase tickets at www.tigers.com.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Milwaukee Brewers
Brewers' ticket sales 10 percent ahead of 2008
The Business Journal of Milwaukee
by Mark Kass
As the Milwaukee Brewers opened their home schedule Friday at Miller Park, the team has already sold 1.8 million tickets, a 10 percent increase compared with last season.
Rick Schlesinger, Brewers' executive vice president of business operations, said demand for tickets has been high, despite the current economic downturn.
"Ticket sales have been in a word -- great," he said in an interview this week. "It is a great tribute to our fans and the demand and interest there is in this team this year."
The Brewers set an all-time franchise attendance mark of more than 3 million fans in 2008 when the team went to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.
Schlesinger said the team would like to exceed 3 million again, but it will depend on how the Brewers do on the field.
"We have had a good start for ticket sales, but it always comes down to how the team plays," he said. "If we are in the playoff race in September, we will have very good year at the gate."
The team has added a new seating area to Miller Park -- a 42-seat elevated seating area that was built in left-center field. It is called the “Harley-Davidson Deck” and features Harley-Davidson motorcycles built into the decor.
Members of Harley Owners Group (HOG) will receive discounted tickets, which will include food buffet and two complementary beverages, to the deck for all games.
Schlesinger said the seating area is already sold out for about 80 percent of the home games.
In addition, the renamed AirTran Airways Landing Zone seating area in right field is sold out for 90 percent of the home games.
AirTran Airways signed a multi-year partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers in January, the centerpiece of which was naming rights to an all-inclusive outfield seating area that has been renamed the AirTran Airways Landing Zone.
The Business Journal of Milwaukee
by Mark Kass
As the Milwaukee Brewers opened their home schedule Friday at Miller Park, the team has already sold 1.8 million tickets, a 10 percent increase compared with last season.
Rick Schlesinger, Brewers' executive vice president of business operations, said demand for tickets has been high, despite the current economic downturn.
"Ticket sales have been in a word -- great," he said in an interview this week. "It is a great tribute to our fans and the demand and interest there is in this team this year."
The Brewers set an all-time franchise attendance mark of more than 3 million fans in 2008 when the team went to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.
Schlesinger said the team would like to exceed 3 million again, but it will depend on how the Brewers do on the field.
"We have had a good start for ticket sales, but it always comes down to how the team plays," he said. "If we are in the playoff race in September, we will have very good year at the gate."
The team has added a new seating area to Miller Park -- a 42-seat elevated seating area that was built in left-center field. It is called the “Harley-Davidson Deck” and features Harley-Davidson motorcycles built into the decor.
Members of Harley Owners Group (HOG) will receive discounted tickets, which will include food buffet and two complementary beverages, to the deck for all games.
Schlesinger said the seating area is already sold out for about 80 percent of the home games.
In addition, the renamed AirTran Airways Landing Zone seating area in right field is sold out for 90 percent of the home games.
AirTran Airways signed a multi-year partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers in January, the centerpiece of which was naming rights to an all-inclusive outfield seating area that has been renamed the AirTran Airways Landing Zone.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Baseball coverage bigger, better on MLB.com in '09
New additions and upgrades for following baseball onlineBy Mark Newman / MLB.com
This momentous decade began with a January 2000 unanimous vote by Major League Baseball owners to centralize baseball's Internet operations and create MLB Advanced Media, which would manage MLB.com, all 30 club sites and a digital baseball road map. The Yankees beat the Mets in a Subway Series that year, marking the last time that a World Series champion has repeated.
Now it is 2009 and the final season of this first decade in the new millennium is about to get under way. It remains to be seen whether the Phillies can end that long drought and finally give baseball another repeat champion, but one thing we do know is that fans embraced the technology MLBAM went on to introduce, and today you can experience baseball essentially anywhere in the world and in almost every way.
MLB.TV, Video Alerts, online ticketing, All-Star Game voting, MLB.com At Bat 2009 for the iPhone, MLB.com Shop orders, MLB.com Gameday, Fantasy games, MLBlogs and boards, detailed Draft scouting reports, live studio programming, 24/7/365 coverage from a network of 30 traveling beat writers -- those are just some of the advancements that came along this decade. As we welcome the new chase for a World Series title to close this decade of baseball tech, here is a guide to those favorite fan staples today:
MLB.TV Premium
Courtney Heitkamp, 21, of Sioux Falls, S.D., recently posted to Twitter: "Oh my gosh I'm watching the Twins...I love you MLB.TV!"
In case anything actually needs to be said other than that, then just let MLB.TV Premium speak for itself. If you are among the millions who have experienced live baseball over your computer with MLB.TV in the past, then brace yourself because it is more captivating than ever. Developers threw the kitchen sink in for the 2009 model, building a new Flash media player that has received rave reviews throughout public beta testing this spring. Many fans who do not have actual HD televisions at home are seeing what that crystal-clarity looks like on a computer screen. MLB.TV Premium is $109.99 for a year's subscription, a $10 markdown from last year despite numerous enhancements. You'll enjoy the proprietary speed detection; playback controls with DVR and jump-to-inning functionality; home-or-away and TV-or-radio swapping; picture-in-picture; archived games; and much more. Like Heitkamp, you will love MLB.TV.
Video Alerts
Video Alerts were added to the MLB.com Mobile team text menu last season, and that was a smashing success. Fans enjoyed receiving video highlights over their enabled handheld devices, and that will be an important element again this summer. You can be working on a project around the house or walking through an airport on a business trip, and suddenly one of these highlights pops up and your mood changes and you just want to show it to the person closest to you.
Just sign up by texting "GET Club name" to 65246. For example, if you are a Cincinnati fan, you send the text "get reds" to 65246. Once you sign up for the text alerts, MLB.com will send eligible fans a second text message offering the Video Alerts service. The price hasn't changed, so this is the throw-in of all-time. As always, you can manage your Team Alert selections in the "m-dash" (Mobile Dashboard).
Fantasy Games
Remember when someone almost won a million bucks last summer playing MLB.com Beat the Streak? That was close. Maybe you will win that amount by playing the easy-to-manage game this season. Or take your chance at winning $10,000 by entering MLB.com 2009 Fantasy Baseball. Go to MLB.com Fantasy and look through all the opportunities, and dominate your leagues by taking advantage of the wealth of advice from experts. Fantasy has only grown in scope over this decade, to the point that our Player Rankings now are even being used to predict final standings based on aggregate fantasy rankings per team. Unlike 2000, a massive segment of today's baseball fandom get into the game because of fantasy.
"We've learned a lot this decade about the kinds of games fans are looking for, and most importantly, how to get new fans involved and enjoying fantasy baseball," said Gregg Klayman, VP of content development. "Back in 2000, you had a hardcore base of fans playing games online, whereas today you have millions of experts and novices competing in all different levels of games."
Video Search
Want to see B.J. Upton highlights? Looking for examples of why Tim Lincecum won the last NL Cy Young Award? Just go to http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp and search for their names or any others. Search for anything around Major League Baseball, and there is a strong likelihood you will be satisfied.
As with Video Alerts, this is a demonstration of the penetration that online video has reached in today's world. It's one of the first things many fans look for, something they can actually see, immediate gratification at watching their favorite players in action. Video Search was added last season, and fans enjoyed the larger (512x288) viewing size and faster bit rate. MLB.com editors tag the clips and make them available for you, and then you decide exactly what is needed in that split-second.
MLB.com At Bat 2009
This was released in the Apple App Store last week and immediately shot up to No. 3 overall and No. 1 in Sports among all apps there. The big new feature for this year is the add-on of MLB.com Gameday Audio for the regular season. Fans will be able to listen to live audio broadcasts of every Major League Baseball game from the Sunday opener through the World Series clincher. It also features a live scoreboard with statistical data from current, previous and future games; MLB.com Gameday's detailed data featuring five interactive screens and exclusive pitch type, location and speed data; and high-quality video highlights quickly after they happen on the field. Just go to the App Store in iTunes and click on Sports, and you will find MLB.com At Bat 2009 there for $9.99.
MLB.com Gameday
Every year this decade it has grown more addictive by incorporating more technology. The same will be true for this popular real-time app as a season is ushered in with the Opening Night game between the Braves and Phillies on Sunday, followed by 13 Opening Day games on Monday. This season Gameday adds exclusive real-time scouting data to the mix, with pitcher and batter tendencies, hot and cold zones and head-to-head stats. These rich new data features complement the existing pitch-by-pitch data, including the Pitch-f/x technology that provides pitch speed, trajectory and location data for every game in every Major League park, along with Game Previews, in-game highlights and other game-specific video from right inside the app.
Registration
Before you do anything at MLB.com this season, create a free account so you are registered here. It's free and easy, and it is the gateway to many things that happen during the course of the year -- including ticketing, Shop offers, contest prizes, All-Star voting, blogging and posting messages, subscription signups and more.
News and opinion
Nowhere is there more comprehensive baseball coverage than at MLB.com. It blankets the game with 30 traveling reporters who are at the source, constantly filing news and features and Inbox replies to your e-mails as well as their regular MLBlogs and more. Fans can consume the information through headlines on MLB.com and the club sites, as well as RSS feeds, on the MLB.com Mobile WAP site and as text alerts.
MLBAM also operates Minor League Baseball's site, and the team of writers provide even further meaningful insight to Major League fans about how their organizations are doing and which prospects to anticipate in the big leagues. Perspectives from such veteran journalists as Hal Bodley, Mike Bauman and Tom Singer help shape the views of many fans and provoke arguments and agreement alike.
Online ticketing
It is hard to say exactly what one facet of the Internet has been most important to baseball fans over this decade, but this is as likely a choice as any. Online ticketing gradually rose in popularity to the point that -- by the middle of the decade -- it was how most MLB game tickets were purchased, and then it became a de facto standard in fan life, with many fans simply printing their tickets out at home and bringing them straight to the gate. Right now, online ticketing further enables you to take advantage of the new MLB.com Fan Value Corner, showcasing the many ways that all 30 clubs are helping spectators get more for their money amid a staggering recession. From the My Team Account Manager to make season ticket payments to StubHub.com for secondary ticketing, this is a key reason many people keep coming back to their favorite MLB sites.
MLB.com Shop
Anyone who might have been jittery about online transactions at the start of the decade is likely well over it by now. The bigger question is more likely when to say enough is enough and just put the shopping cart through checkout. Just as you probably went to the MLB.com Shop to do your last holiday shopping, you probably are browsing through there these days, and maybe you noticed that the new Spring Virtual Catalog has just arrived, offering convenient selection of the baseball fashion of the times. Order one of those Stance II Fashion Jerseys by Majestic Athletic and get a free cap.
Scoreboard, Standings, Stats, Schedule
Those four words are at the top of the homepage, just as they have been for most of this decade. It's hard for baseball fans to imagine life without them.
Blogs and Boards
Everyone seems to be blogging and social networking now. There is a huge increase in player MLBlogs, with a prospect blog for every organization, and blogs by such big leaguers as Torii Hunter, Reed Johnson, Glen Perkins, Andre Ethier and Collin Balester. You probably noticed that MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has an MLBlog where he can talk about his favorite sport instead of politics. All 30 MLB.com team reporters now have MLBlogs, and even the Rangers Captain just started one.
Last year in this space, we mentioned a fan named phillies6phan26, who boldly predicted on the MLB.com Fan Forum message boards that the Phillies would win it all, Evan Longoria would be AL Rookie of the Year, Dodgers, Cubs and Angels would all win divisions, among some other prudent choices. It only makes sense to tip the cap here given what happened.
Every now and then, you see some expert fan opinion like that around the boards and at MLBlogs. And every now and then, you see some stuff that just makes you laugh. But whatever the case, this decade has become a giant snowball of user generated content, with you in control of your own spaces.
Whether uploading ballpark photos of yourself to put on products, customizing a new authentic jersey, bidding on game-used items, watching a live MLB.TV Premium stream, checking scores, commenting on a favorite player's blog or following the action with your new smartphone, you are fully immersed in a way of life that you might have found hard to believe at the dawn of this decade. Now that this decade is about to finish up with another long and fabulous season, it is time to take stock of how far we have all come together, take a deep breath, and start it all over again.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
This momentous decade began with a January 2000 unanimous vote by Major League Baseball owners to centralize baseball's Internet operations and create MLB Advanced Media, which would manage MLB.com, all 30 club sites and a digital baseball road map. The Yankees beat the Mets in a Subway Series that year, marking the last time that a World Series champion has repeated.
Now it is 2009 and the final season of this first decade in the new millennium is about to get under way. It remains to be seen whether the Phillies can end that long drought and finally give baseball another repeat champion, but one thing we do know is that fans embraced the technology MLBAM went on to introduce, and today you can experience baseball essentially anywhere in the world and in almost every way.
MLB.TV, Video Alerts, online ticketing, All-Star Game voting, MLB.com At Bat 2009 for the iPhone, MLB.com Shop orders, MLB.com Gameday, Fantasy games, MLBlogs and boards, detailed Draft scouting reports, live studio programming, 24/7/365 coverage from a network of 30 traveling beat writers -- those are just some of the advancements that came along this decade. As we welcome the new chase for a World Series title to close this decade of baseball tech, here is a guide to those favorite fan staples today:
MLB.TV Premium
Courtney Heitkamp, 21, of Sioux Falls, S.D., recently posted to Twitter: "Oh my gosh I'm watching the Twins...I love you MLB.TV!"
In case anything actually needs to be said other than that, then just let MLB.TV Premium speak for itself. If you are among the millions who have experienced live baseball over your computer with MLB.TV in the past, then brace yourself because it is more captivating than ever. Developers threw the kitchen sink in for the 2009 model, building a new Flash media player that has received rave reviews throughout public beta testing this spring. Many fans who do not have actual HD televisions at home are seeing what that crystal-clarity looks like on a computer screen. MLB.TV Premium is $109.99 for a year's subscription, a $10 markdown from last year despite numerous enhancements. You'll enjoy the proprietary speed detection; playback controls with DVR and jump-to-inning functionality; home-or-away and TV-or-radio swapping; picture-in-picture; archived games; and much more. Like Heitkamp, you will love MLB.TV.
Video Alerts
Video Alerts were added to the MLB.com Mobile team text menu last season, and that was a smashing success. Fans enjoyed receiving video highlights over their enabled handheld devices, and that will be an important element again this summer. You can be working on a project around the house or walking through an airport on a business trip, and suddenly one of these highlights pops up and your mood changes and you just want to show it to the person closest to you.
Just sign up by texting "GET Club name" to 65246. For example, if you are a Cincinnati fan, you send the text "get reds" to 65246. Once you sign up for the text alerts, MLB.com will send eligible fans a second text message offering the Video Alerts service. The price hasn't changed, so this is the throw-in of all-time. As always, you can manage your Team Alert selections in the "m-dash" (Mobile Dashboard).
Fantasy Games
Remember when someone almost won a million bucks last summer playing MLB.com Beat the Streak? That was close. Maybe you will win that amount by playing the easy-to-manage game this season. Or take your chance at winning $10,000 by entering MLB.com 2009 Fantasy Baseball. Go to MLB.com Fantasy and look through all the opportunities, and dominate your leagues by taking advantage of the wealth of advice from experts. Fantasy has only grown in scope over this decade, to the point that our Player Rankings now are even being used to predict final standings based on aggregate fantasy rankings per team. Unlike 2000, a massive segment of today's baseball fandom get into the game because of fantasy.
"We've learned a lot this decade about the kinds of games fans are looking for, and most importantly, how to get new fans involved and enjoying fantasy baseball," said Gregg Klayman, VP of content development. "Back in 2000, you had a hardcore base of fans playing games online, whereas today you have millions of experts and novices competing in all different levels of games."
Video Search
Want to see B.J. Upton highlights? Looking for examples of why Tim Lincecum won the last NL Cy Young Award? Just go to http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp and search for their names or any others. Search for anything around Major League Baseball, and there is a strong likelihood you will be satisfied.
As with Video Alerts, this is a demonstration of the penetration that online video has reached in today's world. It's one of the first things many fans look for, something they can actually see, immediate gratification at watching their favorite players in action. Video Search was added last season, and fans enjoyed the larger (512x288) viewing size and faster bit rate. MLB.com editors tag the clips and make them available for you, and then you decide exactly what is needed in that split-second.
MLB.com At Bat 2009
This was released in the Apple App Store last week and immediately shot up to No. 3 overall and No. 1 in Sports among all apps there. The big new feature for this year is the add-on of MLB.com Gameday Audio for the regular season. Fans will be able to listen to live audio broadcasts of every Major League Baseball game from the Sunday opener through the World Series clincher. It also features a live scoreboard with statistical data from current, previous and future games; MLB.com Gameday's detailed data featuring five interactive screens and exclusive pitch type, location and speed data; and high-quality video highlights quickly after they happen on the field. Just go to the App Store in iTunes and click on Sports, and you will find MLB.com At Bat 2009 there for $9.99.
MLB.com Gameday
Every year this decade it has grown more addictive by incorporating more technology. The same will be true for this popular real-time app as a season is ushered in with the Opening Night game between the Braves and Phillies on Sunday, followed by 13 Opening Day games on Monday. This season Gameday adds exclusive real-time scouting data to the mix, with pitcher and batter tendencies, hot and cold zones and head-to-head stats. These rich new data features complement the existing pitch-by-pitch data, including the Pitch-f/x technology that provides pitch speed, trajectory and location data for every game in every Major League park, along with Game Previews, in-game highlights and other game-specific video from right inside the app.
Registration
Before you do anything at MLB.com this season, create a free account so you are registered here. It's free and easy, and it is the gateway to many things that happen during the course of the year -- including ticketing, Shop offers, contest prizes, All-Star voting, blogging and posting messages, subscription signups and more.
News and opinion
Nowhere is there more comprehensive baseball coverage than at MLB.com. It blankets the game with 30 traveling reporters who are at the source, constantly filing news and features and Inbox replies to your e-mails as well as their regular MLBlogs and more. Fans can consume the information through headlines on MLB.com and the club sites, as well as RSS feeds, on the MLB.com Mobile WAP site and as text alerts.
MLBAM also operates Minor League Baseball's site, and the team of writers provide even further meaningful insight to Major League fans about how their organizations are doing and which prospects to anticipate in the big leagues. Perspectives from such veteran journalists as Hal Bodley, Mike Bauman and Tom Singer help shape the views of many fans and provoke arguments and agreement alike.
Online ticketing
It is hard to say exactly what one facet of the Internet has been most important to baseball fans over this decade, but this is as likely a choice as any. Online ticketing gradually rose in popularity to the point that -- by the middle of the decade -- it was how most MLB game tickets were purchased, and then it became a de facto standard in fan life, with many fans simply printing their tickets out at home and bringing them straight to the gate. Right now, online ticketing further enables you to take advantage of the new MLB.com Fan Value Corner, showcasing the many ways that all 30 clubs are helping spectators get more for their money amid a staggering recession. From the My Team Account Manager to make season ticket payments to StubHub.com for secondary ticketing, this is a key reason many people keep coming back to their favorite MLB sites.
MLB.com Shop
Anyone who might have been jittery about online transactions at the start of the decade is likely well over it by now. The bigger question is more likely when to say enough is enough and just put the shopping cart through checkout. Just as you probably went to the MLB.com Shop to do your last holiday shopping, you probably are browsing through there these days, and maybe you noticed that the new Spring Virtual Catalog has just arrived, offering convenient selection of the baseball fashion of the times. Order one of those Stance II Fashion Jerseys by Majestic Athletic and get a free cap.
Scoreboard, Standings, Stats, Schedule
Those four words are at the top of the homepage, just as they have been for most of this decade. It's hard for baseball fans to imagine life without them.
Blogs and Boards
Everyone seems to be blogging and social networking now. There is a huge increase in player MLBlogs, with a prospect blog for every organization, and blogs by such big leaguers as Torii Hunter, Reed Johnson, Glen Perkins, Andre Ethier and Collin Balester. You probably noticed that MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has an MLBlog where he can talk about his favorite sport instead of politics. All 30 MLB.com team reporters now have MLBlogs, and even the Rangers Captain just started one.
Last year in this space, we mentioned a fan named phillies6phan26, who boldly predicted on the MLB.com Fan Forum message boards that the Phillies would win it all, Evan Longoria would be AL Rookie of the Year, Dodgers, Cubs and Angels would all win divisions, among some other prudent choices. It only makes sense to tip the cap here given what happened.
Every now and then, you see some expert fan opinion like that around the boards and at MLBlogs. And every now and then, you see some stuff that just makes you laugh. But whatever the case, this decade has become a giant snowball of user generated content, with you in control of your own spaces.
Whether uploading ballpark photos of yourself to put on products, customizing a new authentic jersey, bidding on game-used items, watching a live MLB.TV Premium stream, checking scores, commenting on a favorite player's blog or following the action with your new smartphone, you are fully immersed in a way of life that you might have found hard to believe at the dawn of this decade. Now that this decade is about to finish up with another long and fabulous season, it is time to take stock of how far we have all come together, take a deep breath, and start it all over again.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Brewers Set Single-Day Ticket Sales Record
Brewers Set Single-Day Ticket Sales Record By Moving 104,000 Tickets On Saturday
Sports Business Daily – Monday, March 2, 2009
In Milwaukee, Ben Poston reported the Brewers "set a single-day ticket sales record Saturday, selling 104,000 tickets in the first six hours" that single-game tickets were on sale. The previous record "was 98,000 tickets sold last year during the entire day of the same Arctic Tailgate event, which kicks off the season for ticket buyers." Poston noted more than 1,000 Brewers fans "turned out at Miller Park early Saturday morning and stood in line for hours to score opening-day and single-game tickets." The Brewers already have "sold out of individual-game tickets for six games" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/1). Brewers Exec VP/Business Operations Rick Schlesinger: "We had fans here 10 days ago asking to pitch tents, but for their own safety we asked them to wait until Wednesday. We've never had anything like it before" (MLB.com, 2/28).
Find Brewers tickets >
Sports Business Daily – Monday, March 2, 2009
In Milwaukee, Ben Poston reported the Brewers "set a single-day ticket sales record Saturday, selling 104,000 tickets in the first six hours" that single-game tickets were on sale. The previous record "was 98,000 tickets sold last year during the entire day of the same Arctic Tailgate event, which kicks off the season for ticket buyers." Poston noted more than 1,000 Brewers fans "turned out at Miller Park early Saturday morning and stood in line for hours to score opening-day and single-game tickets." The Brewers already have "sold out of individual-game tickets for six games" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/1). Brewers Exec VP/Business Operations Rick Schlesinger: "We had fans here 10 days ago asking to pitch tents, but for their own safety we asked them to wait until Wednesday. We've never had anything like it before" (MLB.com, 2/28).
Find Brewers tickets >
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers sweeten ticket deals to attract more fans
By ANTHONY ANDRO
Star-Telegram/Stewart F. House
ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers are going to offer fans more reasons to come to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Individual ticket prices this year will remain the same in all sections except for the lower infield seats (up from $60 to $65).
But a number of incentives are planned to boost attendance. Postgame fireworks will be featured 13 times, up from five last year. All-you-can-eat seats will be available every home game and include seats in the upper home run porch. Two more concerts are on the calendar. A family pack will offer savings of up to 50 percent.
The Rangers have added four premier games, up to 16 from 12. That was necessitated by the Rangers having an additional home series with Boston and a July 4 game.
Individual game tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on March 7.
Senior vice president Jim Sundberg said that season ticket sales are down slightly because of the economy. Last season’s attendance was the lowest ever at the ballpark.
Beefed-up Brandon
Rangers right-hander Brandon McCarthy showed up at the Rangers’ pitching camp looking big and healthy.
The 6-foot-7 McCarthy weighs 220 pounds, up from 195. That’s due in large part to his 7,000-calorie a day diet. More important, McCarthy is healthy after being limited to five starts with the Rangers last year because of forearm and finger injuries.
"It’s sort of starting over again," McCarthy said. "It’s been two years since I’ve done anything of note. It’s time to sort of prove myself again. I look at as a make-or-break year in terms of where I want to be personally."
Wilson signs
The Rangers avoided arbitration with reliever C.J. Wilson by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal. The left-hander signed for $1.85 million and additional performance incentives.
Wilson was 2-2 last year with 24 saves and a 6.02 ERA. His season ended in August when he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow.
Washington on Obama
Rangers manager Ron Washington didn’t have a chance to watch Tuesday’s presidential inauguration because of a pitching camp, but he still felt a sense of pride.
"I never thought this day would come," Washington said. "Just like anything else in life, there are changes. This is one change I think will help a lot of young kids in life understand they can be anything they want to be."
Saltalamacchia ready
Jarrod Saltalamacchia lost the starting catching job in spring training last year to Gerald Laird, who was traded to the Detroit Tigers in December. Saltalamacchia heads to camp this year competing with Taylor Teagarden for time.
"I’m ready to take the job and that’s what I’ve got to do," he said. "I’m here to play ball. Last year my mind-set was a little different. Going into spring training, I don’t want to say I was lackadaisical, but I had different things going through my head. I learned a lot last year and I’m going to go in there and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played."
By ANTHONY ANDRO
Star-Telegram/Stewart F. House
ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers are going to offer fans more reasons to come to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Individual ticket prices this year will remain the same in all sections except for the lower infield seats (up from $60 to $65).
But a number of incentives are planned to boost attendance. Postgame fireworks will be featured 13 times, up from five last year. All-you-can-eat seats will be available every home game and include seats in the upper home run porch. Two more concerts are on the calendar. A family pack will offer savings of up to 50 percent.
The Rangers have added four premier games, up to 16 from 12. That was necessitated by the Rangers having an additional home series with Boston and a July 4 game.
Individual game tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on March 7.
Senior vice president Jim Sundberg said that season ticket sales are down slightly because of the economy. Last season’s attendance was the lowest ever at the ballpark.
Beefed-up Brandon
Rangers right-hander Brandon McCarthy showed up at the Rangers’ pitching camp looking big and healthy.
The 6-foot-7 McCarthy weighs 220 pounds, up from 195. That’s due in large part to his 7,000-calorie a day diet. More important, McCarthy is healthy after being limited to five starts with the Rangers last year because of forearm and finger injuries.
"It’s sort of starting over again," McCarthy said. "It’s been two years since I’ve done anything of note. It’s time to sort of prove myself again. I look at as a make-or-break year in terms of where I want to be personally."
Wilson signs
The Rangers avoided arbitration with reliever C.J. Wilson by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal. The left-hander signed for $1.85 million and additional performance incentives.
Wilson was 2-2 last year with 24 saves and a 6.02 ERA. His season ended in August when he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow.
Washington on Obama
Rangers manager Ron Washington didn’t have a chance to watch Tuesday’s presidential inauguration because of a pitching camp, but he still felt a sense of pride.
"I never thought this day would come," Washington said. "Just like anything else in life, there are changes. This is one change I think will help a lot of young kids in life understand they can be anything they want to be."
Saltalamacchia ready
Jarrod Saltalamacchia lost the starting catching job in spring training last year to Gerald Laird, who was traded to the Detroit Tigers in December. Saltalamacchia heads to camp this year competing with Taylor Teagarden for time.
"I’m ready to take the job and that’s what I’ve got to do," he said. "I’m here to play ball. Last year my mind-set was a little different. Going into spring training, I don’t want to say I was lackadaisical, but I had different things going through my head. I learned a lot last year and I’m going to go in there and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played."
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Royals, Indians will join MLB clubs selling stored-value tickets
Sports Business Journal
By DON MURET
Staff writer
The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians will introduce stored-value tickets at their ballparks this season, bringing to eight the number of clubs that will have the technology in place on Opening Day.
Loaded tickets are a ballpark admission with credit to buy food, drink and merchandise loaded into the bar code and folded into the price of a ticket.
The Royals are benching their all-you-can-eat program in favor of loaded tickets in several parts of renovated Kauffman Stadium, including 190 seats in the Diamond Club boxes behind home plate.
Those $70 seats, available only as full-season tickets, include a $20 concessions credit, and were 75 percent sold as of last week, said Mark Tilson, the Royals’ vice president of marketing and ticket sales.
The Indians will roll out their program at Progressive Field to a small number of season-ticket holders, said spokesman Curtis Danburg. The team will expand the program to include groups and single-game tickets later in the season.In addition, the New York Mets plan to offer a combination of stored-value tickets and loyalty cards later in the season after making sure all systems work smoothly at Citi Field, their new billion-dollar ballpark, said Dave Howard, executive vice president of business operations.
The St. Louis Cardinals hope to sell loaded tickets at Busch Stadium, but nothing was firm as of last week, said Joe Strohm, vice president of ticket sales. The Arizona Diamondbacks will make a decision in February whether to offer stored-value tickets in 2009, spokesman Shaun Rachau said.
IMS, the software vendor supplying equipment to six MLB teams, has data dating to 2004, when the Philadelphia Phillies opened Citizens Bank Park and became the first club to use the concept. The information shows that fans holding loaded tickets spend 40 percent to 60 percent more on concessions than those without stored-value tickets, said Jeff Harvey, IMS’ vice president of sales.
The firm’s data also show that “breakage,” the industry term used to describe unused value on loaded tickets, can generate significant returns, averaging 36 percent, Harvey said. The Phillies’ breakage numbers are much smaller, according to John Weber, the team’s vice president of sales and ticket operations. The Phillies sold 90,000 “Power Tickets” containing a $10 credit, and breakage averaged 10 percent to 15 percent, Weber said.
In that case, breakage produced $90,000 to $135,000 in revenue, not including the park’s 350 Diamond Club seats with $30 in value. Still, it’s an element that weighed heavily in the Royals’ decision to use loaded tickets.“It’s a compelling part of the technology,” Tilson said. “The fact that it could pay for itself and ultimately lead to a legitimate revenue stream helped us make the decision to invest in the technology.”
In this recession, some teams don’t have the six-figure sum to pay for installing the software and hardware and back-of-house support. That’s the case at Minute Maid Park in Houston, said Bill Goren, the Astros’ director of ticket sales. “We would have to spend a lot of money [and] it’s not in the budget for this year,” Goren said.
The Royals spent $150,000 for their IMS system. In conjunction with Aramark, their new concessionaire, officials thought it made perfect sense to start promoting loaded tickets now that Kauffman Stadium’s two-year, $250 million renovation nears completion and they can make a fresh start with a redesigned seating bowl.
Stored-value tickets are also available in Kansas City for group sales, family four-pack promotions on Fridays and Sundays and single-game sales, available in increments as low as $5. There is no set limit on the number of tickets that can have value added, Tilson said.
The Royals sold a little more than 17,000 all-you-can-eat tickets in 2008, generating $455,000 in gross revenue. The common complaint among fans buying those tickets was a limited menu; loaded tickets now provide the opportunity for them to buy whatever they want, Tilson said.
“We are waiting to see the reaction of not having all-you-can-seat seats,” he said.
By DON MURET
Staff writer
The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians will introduce stored-value tickets at their ballparks this season, bringing to eight the number of clubs that will have the technology in place on Opening Day.
Loaded tickets are a ballpark admission with credit to buy food, drink and merchandise loaded into the bar code and folded into the price of a ticket.
The Royals are benching their all-you-can-eat program in favor of loaded tickets in several parts of renovated Kauffman Stadium, including 190 seats in the Diamond Club boxes behind home plate.
Those $70 seats, available only as full-season tickets, include a $20 concessions credit, and were 75 percent sold as of last week, said Mark Tilson, the Royals’ vice president of marketing and ticket sales.
The Indians will roll out their program at Progressive Field to a small number of season-ticket holders, said spokesman Curtis Danburg. The team will expand the program to include groups and single-game tickets later in the season.In addition, the New York Mets plan to offer a combination of stored-value tickets and loyalty cards later in the season after making sure all systems work smoothly at Citi Field, their new billion-dollar ballpark, said Dave Howard, executive vice president of business operations.
The St. Louis Cardinals hope to sell loaded tickets at Busch Stadium, but nothing was firm as of last week, said Joe Strohm, vice president of ticket sales. The Arizona Diamondbacks will make a decision in February whether to offer stored-value tickets in 2009, spokesman Shaun Rachau said.
IMS, the software vendor supplying equipment to six MLB teams, has data dating to 2004, when the Philadelphia Phillies opened Citizens Bank Park and became the first club to use the concept. The information shows that fans holding loaded tickets spend 40 percent to 60 percent more on concessions than those without stored-value tickets, said Jeff Harvey, IMS’ vice president of sales.
The firm’s data also show that “breakage,” the industry term used to describe unused value on loaded tickets, can generate significant returns, averaging 36 percent, Harvey said. The Phillies’ breakage numbers are much smaller, according to John Weber, the team’s vice president of sales and ticket operations. The Phillies sold 90,000 “Power Tickets” containing a $10 credit, and breakage averaged 10 percent to 15 percent, Weber said.
In that case, breakage produced $90,000 to $135,000 in revenue, not including the park’s 350 Diamond Club seats with $30 in value. Still, it’s an element that weighed heavily in the Royals’ decision to use loaded tickets.“It’s a compelling part of the technology,” Tilson said. “The fact that it could pay for itself and ultimately lead to a legitimate revenue stream helped us make the decision to invest in the technology.”
In this recession, some teams don’t have the six-figure sum to pay for installing the software and hardware and back-of-house support. That’s the case at Minute Maid Park in Houston, said Bill Goren, the Astros’ director of ticket sales. “We would have to spend a lot of money [and] it’s not in the budget for this year,” Goren said.
The Royals spent $150,000 for their IMS system. In conjunction with Aramark, their new concessionaire, officials thought it made perfect sense to start promoting loaded tickets now that Kauffman Stadium’s two-year, $250 million renovation nears completion and they can make a fresh start with a redesigned seating bowl.
Stored-value tickets are also available in Kansas City for group sales, family four-pack promotions on Fridays and Sundays and single-game sales, available in increments as low as $5. There is no set limit on the number of tickets that can have value added, Tilson said.
The Royals sold a little more than 17,000 all-you-can-eat tickets in 2008, generating $455,000 in gross revenue. The common complaint among fans buying those tickets was a limited menu; loaded tickets now provide the opportunity for them to buy whatever they want, Tilson said.
“We are waiting to see the reaction of not having all-you-can-seat seats,” he said.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Detroit Tigers Spring Training
Tickets To Go On Sale For 2009 Detroit Tigers Spring Training Home Games
LAKELAND, FL - Individual tickets for Detroit Tigers Spring Training home games will go on sale Saturday, January 10th at 10:00 a.m. at the Joker Marchant Stadium box office. The box office is located at 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd. Tickets may also be purchased at 10:00 a.m. through the Tigers website, www.DetroitTigers.com, through Tickets.com by logging on to www.Tickets.com, or via telephone by calling toll free 1-866-66-TIGER (84437).
Fans will receive free popcorn and coffee at the concession stands. The Tigers will also be holding a 50% off merchandise sale at the souvenir shop.
The Tigers will begin the exhibition schedule on Wednesday, February 25 as the club welcomes the Atlanta Braves to Joker Marchant Stadium, the first of 19 exhibition games played in Lakeland during the upcoming spring. Detroit will host two exhibition games in advance of the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela and Panama on Tuesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 4, respectively.
Tickets for the 2009 spring exhibition season will be priced at two separate levels, with all prices remaining the same as 2008. The first set is for premium games, which include all games against the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, New York Yankees and all Friday, Saturday and Sunday games. The second price level is for the remainder of the schedule. Premium game ticket prices range from $10-21, while the ticket prices for the remainder of games range from $8-19.
Spring Training season tickets are currently on sale, for further information, please call the Tigers at (863) 686-8075.
LAKELAND, FL - Individual tickets for Detroit Tigers Spring Training home games will go on sale Saturday, January 10th at 10:00 a.m. at the Joker Marchant Stadium box office. The box office is located at 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd. Tickets may also be purchased at 10:00 a.m. through the Tigers website, www.DetroitTigers.com, through Tickets.com by logging on to www.Tickets.com, or via telephone by calling toll free 1-866-66-TIGER (84437).
Fans will receive free popcorn and coffee at the concession stands. The Tigers will also be holding a 50% off merchandise sale at the souvenir shop.
The Tigers will begin the exhibition schedule on Wednesday, February 25 as the club welcomes the Atlanta Braves to Joker Marchant Stadium, the first of 19 exhibition games played in Lakeland during the upcoming spring. Detroit will host two exhibition games in advance of the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela and Panama on Tuesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 4, respectively.
Tickets for the 2009 spring exhibition season will be priced at two separate levels, with all prices remaining the same as 2008. The first set is for premium games, which include all games against the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, New York Yankees and all Friday, Saturday and Sunday games. The second price level is for the remainder of the schedule. Premium game ticket prices range from $10-21, while the ticket prices for the remainder of games range from $8-19.
Spring Training season tickets are currently on sale, for further information, please call the Tigers at (863) 686-8075.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tickets.com Sponsor Day at Busch Stadium
Tickets.com proudly sponsored the St. Louis Cardinals' Fredbird bobble-belly day on Father's Day, June 15, 2008 at Busch Stadium. The first 15,000 kids under 15 were given a free limited-edition Fredbird bobble-belly doll courtesy of Tickets.com.
Tickets.com also had the privilege of selecting someone to throw the ceremonial first pitch. We were honored to donate the first pitch opportunity to a Soldier who had returned from Afghanistan. SFC Stephen White, a dog handler with the 1st Engineer Brigade threw the first pitch to start the game.
In addition to our sponsorship, Tickets.com also held St. Louis Cardinals Technology Day at Busch Stadium on June 15. Tickets.com and Cardinals employees spoke with Cardinals fans on the stadium concourse to help them learn new ways to buy Cardinals tickets, including buying tickets online, printing tickets at home, and using ticket kiosks.
Learn more about Tickets.com >
Tickets.com also had the privilege of selecting someone to throw the ceremonial first pitch. We were honored to donate the first pitch opportunity to a Soldier who had returned from Afghanistan. SFC Stephen White, a dog handler with the 1st Engineer Brigade threw the first pitch to start the game.
In addition to our sponsorship, Tickets.com also held St. Louis Cardinals Technology Day at Busch Stadium on June 15. Tickets.com and Cardinals employees spoke with Cardinals fans on the stadium concourse to help them learn new ways to buy Cardinals tickets, including buying tickets online, printing tickets at home, and using ticket kiosks.
Learn more about Tickets.com >
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