“I think if anybody in any business had known where this economy was going to go, they would have done things differently,” Steinbrenner said Thursday. “Look, there’s no doubt small amounts of our tickets might be overpriced.
“You know, we’re continuing to look into that,” he said. “But the bottom line is, the vast majority of them, it seems like they’re right on because we’ve sold 35,000 full-season equivalents, and a lot of the tickets have, you know, sold quite well. And, well, despite what’s out there all the time about the time … there’s thousands of very affordable seating. And, you know, the public is excited, as excited as we are, I think.”
A few things to note:
1) Even before the economy took a downturn, I think people looked at the seats and knew the $350 “Seats Between the Bases” were not really going to be a hot item. The Legends seating is a different beast and aimed at a different audience, so while those prices are astonishing I don’t feel they were strongly overpriced.
2) 35,000 full season equivalents is a smaller number than what they sold last year. So yeah, it’s a lot but it’s a decline.
Steinbrenner pointed out that Yankee Stadium also has inexpensive seats ranging to as little as $5 for partial-view bleachers.
“We understand that a lot of our fans are struggling. I mean, this is the worst recession in a most of our lifetimes,” he said. “But at the same time I think baseball has always been an escape for people, you know? And I think what we’re going to provide here is an unbelievable experience for thousands and thousands of our fans that, despite the troubles they’re going through right now, maybe they’ll be able to get away for two or three hours, get their minds off things. And we’re going to make that experience, you know, tremendous.”
I love that the new term is partial view. I mean, it’s what they are, but is that supposed to sound better or worse than obstructed view? I think these bleacher seats are much worse than the obstructed view seats of the past. So yes, they are $5 but you’re not going to have a “tremendous” experience if you are there to really watch the baseball game.
He does have a point about the escapism of baseball which like other forms of entertainment experienced a boom during the Depression. However, the people who are having a hard time are less likely to buy the $100 seats than go to the movies for $15. The affordable seats at this point are mostly already taken by season plan holders such as myself.
