Sabres ticket prices hike leads NHL

[MayDay]

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/...eed:+bizj_buffalo+(Business+First+of+Buffalo)

Good thing the team is giving us such a strong on-ice performance. Not to mention all the freebies to make up for the lock-out.

Otherwise this price increase could be interpreted as a slap in the face to the fans.

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[Dixon Ward]

it's all relative.

Still, Buffalo has the seventh-lowest ticket costs in the NHL.
Conversely, Buffalo’s average premium seat cost of $84.83 is second lowest behind Detroit ($66.48) and well below the NHL average ($145.33).

 

[MayDay]

Point is, it's offensive to implement ANY kind of price hike at this point in time.

The team is putrid, hasn't made the playoffs in three years, and hasn't won a playoff series in six years. We're just getting off a long work and ridiculous work stoppage, after which the team did hardly anything (compared to other teams) in terms of goodwill gestures to make it up to the fans and reward them for their loyalty.

The last thing they should be doing right now, in terms of PR, is raising ticket prices any amount.

 

[SackTastic]

Point is, it's offensive to implement ANY kind of price hike at this point in time.

The team is putrid, hasn't made the playoffs in three years, and hasn't won a playoff series in six years. We're just getting off a long work and ridiculous work stoppage, after which the team did hardly anything (compared to other teams) in terms of goodwill gestures to make it up to the fans and reward them for their loyalty.

The last thing they should be doing right now, in terms of PR, is raising ticket prices any amount.

So don't buy any. Your problem is solved!

 

[ZZamboni]

The tickets prices are very good IMO. If the Sabres stay below the half way point of ticket prices (currently 7th lowest) I am totally fine with them hiking up the prices. Supply and demand. Once the prices get too high for the community and surrounding area, sales will drop. Until then, demand is high.

 

[HockeyH3aven]

The cost of tickets almost never (and shouldn't) depend on the record of the hockey team.

It's supply and demand, simple as that. People are climbing over each other to get tickets, so the Sabres can raise the prices and still sell the tickets quite easily.

Considering the amount of money they put into the team, and when factoring in inflation it's not a big deal that they chose to raise them.

So don't buy any. Your problem is solved!

It's funny how it's actually cheaper to go to a Buffalo Bills game then a Buffalo Sabres game. That seems incredibly silly.

Due to that and other factors (the atmosphere at FNC is downright awkward and boring) I almost never go to their games anymore. The only time I will is if I can snare some club seats, so I can drink my way out of the depressing bore-fest that is a Sabres hockey crowd.

 

[sabrefan27]

Point is, it's offensive to implement ANY kind of price hike at this point in time.

The team is putrid, hasn't made the playoffs in three years, and hasn't won a playoff series in six years. We're just getting off a long work and ridiculous work stoppage, after which the team did hardly anything (compared to other teams) in terms of goodwill gestures to make it up to the fans and reward them for their loyalty.

The last thing they should be doing right now, in terms of PR, is raising ticket prices any amount.

"If I wanted to make money I'd go drill another oil well"

 

[vcv]

"If I wanted to make money I'd go drill another oil well"

That's silly.

They're not raising ticket prices to make money. They're raising ticket prices to keep up. Salary cap keeps going up, as does their spending. They need to increase revenue to try to even come close to breaking even.

It's still a business, what the **** else should they do?
Willingly keep costs artificially low to appease a small set of fans?
Stop spending so much money so they don't have to increase revenue?

 

[sabrefan27]

That's silly.

They're not raising ticket prices to make money. They're raising ticket prices to keep up. Salary cap keeps going up, as does their spending. They need to increase revenue to try to even come close to breaking even.

It's still a business, what the **** else should they do?
Willingly keep costs artificially low to appease a small set of fans?
Stop spending so much money so they don't have to increase revenue?

It was a half serious comment. But no reason for them to have the highest increases in the league.

 

[vcv]

It was a half serious comment. But no reason for them to have the highest increases in the league.

I'd like to see actual hard numbers that show that. The article doesn't really give much and the site they link doesn't seem to have it.

 

[MayDay]

They're not raising ticket prices to make money. They're raising ticket prices to keep up. Salary cap keeps going up, as does their spending.

The salary cap is going substantially down for next season, per the new CBA. I think that was one of the main reasons for the lockout and

Speaking of which, the team's on-ice performance maybe shouldn't be a factor when setting ticket prices, but I would think that a protracted lockout which cancelled months of the season would be. Most businesses try to do something to cultivate goodwill after an embarrassing public relations disaster.

 

[ZZamboni]

The salary cap is going substantially down for next season, per the new CBA. I think that was one of the main reasons for the lockout and

Speaking of which, the team's on-ice performance maybe shouldn't be a factor when setting ticket prices, but I would think that a protracted lockout which cancelled months of the season would be. Most businesses try to do something to cultivate goodwill after an embarrassing public relations disaster.

Like 50% of everything in the Sabres Store for 8 days? Like that? Yea they should have totally done that!

Or deals on some concessions? Yea they should of done that too!

 

[cardiffgiant]

My STH ticket price went up 10%. I know that I've said this before, but up front cost isn't my concern. My concern is for whether or not I can resell the games that I can't go to for close to face value. I still can, but once I can't... time to stop buying.

Hell, at this point I'd be happy if they'd replace the cup holder that's been broken for 2 years.