Thread: Price gouging for opening night tickets

Originally Posted by darby

The simple solution would be to get a season ticket package and avoid the whole mess.

It's not cheap, and it's a commitment. And I know a lot of people can't do it. But for games like this, it's a HELL of a benefit.

Originally Posted by darby

Seriously. See my post above yours.

And after the steal I was given on playoff tickets this past season? Forget about it.

Originally Posted by rinkrat

I paid $500 for a ticket on June 11th (for the wife) and don't regret it a bit. Supply and Demand!

If seeing the banner raised isn't worth $174 to you, then don't go to the opening game and just go to another one! ( I put up a link today where you can sit on ice level for the Kings vs Ducks in two weeks for $70.)

Originally Posted by jt

I'm not gonna argue economics or supply and demand because the argument has nothing to do with that. It has to do with the goodwill of the fans. If the Kings want to become just another supply and demand business that doesn't care about the (irrational) emotional connection fans have with the game then that's their right. But the consequence is that they'll end up with more people arriving half way thru the first period...sitting on their hands at games...texting during the PP...and leaving at 9:30 to avoid post-game traffic. Like I said, that's their right but when these other things happen I don't want to hear complaining about why the fans at Staples suck...because they won't be "fans", they'll be "people who rich people know and invited to watch a hockey game they don't know anything about."



Because it prices out fans who can't afford it. I don't understand why that's hard to understand.



Yes I was...and I did.



That's fine in the abstract. But there ARE fans who buy them at face value and some of those people simply can't afford to pay $200 for a game. It's sad to me that the Kings, coming out of a lockout, don't see (or don't care about) the downside to what they're doing. The more you freeze out fans who can't pay huge money for tickets, the fewer fanatical fans you have at games.



I was in a group of STHs. Does that "qualify" me to have an opinion? Or am I beneath you and the other season ticket holders...and only people who can afford full season tickets are "real" fans who should have a voice?

JT: I get what you are saying and you have a very valid point. At the same time I don't see this as the Kings taking advantage of their fans at all. If anything I agree with the logic that they are trying to combat the ticket scalpers (a better way would be to attempt to limit ticket brokers from having season seats). Opening night will probably be the most expensive game of the year due to how many people want to be there. The other problem with this year which will elevate prices will be the shortened season, less games which should also provide a more intense atmosphere.

Look what happened in the SCF's last year. The market for the tickets was insane. I know plenty of fans that probably couldn't afford it but paid the prices because it meant so much with them. Compare the prices of what people were paying in LA to what happened in PHX or even Jersey. I sat 2nd row in game 5 in PHX for $150/seat, and under $300 13 rows up in Jersey for game 5. You could not even come close to those tickets in LA for that price. Obviously a supply and demand argument again right?

Now, if the Kings were trying to $*** on their fans then I would argue that with what Darby posted above. I understand we all cannot afford season seats or just choose not to put that much money toward it but I was extremely pleased last year out how cheap our playoff and SCF tickets were. They could have easily bumped those tickets 200-300% and I think while there would have been some whining but seeing what tickets went for it would have still been a bargain.

Also if someone feels priced out or doesn't want to drop the cash on the home opener, there will definitely be other opportunities in the remaining schedule as rinkrat pointed out.

This also can go other way. I remember people getting lowers for $20 2 years ago. When I was paying more then that for my season seats. I am not sure exactly what the right thing to do is considering the amount of scalped tickets and the demand but I actually don't think they are $***ing on the fans. They don't keep track of loyal fans that by individual tickets throughout the years. How are they to really know? You can't expect the most sought after games to be given out as charity.

no one's ever gonna be happy. back when they were doing all seats in the house for a promo price of $11.50/seat, season ticket holders were pissed. now they're good and the single game buyers have to pay more, they're the ones bitching.
honestly, i knew it would cost more to go to the opener. i also assumed i wouldn't be able to get a pair from ticketmaster (and i assumed correctly since all that came up were singles) so even before the lockout, i figured i'd be paying more on the secondary market to attend this. i missed hockey, but it helped that it was locked out for 3+ mo.s because i had all that time to save up and i probably won't buy anymore tickets this season with exception to the replica ring night and playoffs (will probably get some tickets through my husband's work account).
to be honest, i probably wouldn't have been able to afford to go to this game at this price if it were 10 yrs ago so i understand the general displeasure but i also understand why it's priced the way it is. the whole thing with the lockout was the NHL is a business, what's to say this is any different? it's a business and it's supply and demand. pretty simple.
at least the secondary market isn't priced like this:
@wyshynski Stub Hub for WPGs home opener.. on Twitpic
for a team that isn't even hosting a banner ceremony.

Originally Posted by USCKingsFan31

Again, if the tickets being sold at low face value were actually ending up in the hands of real fans, I'd be with you 100% on all of this. And sure, a few fans that can't afford tickets at current prices (or understandably don't want to fork over a big percentage of their monthly pay to go to one game) would be able to get in at legitimate prices, and that is great.

I wish we had numbers to look at...but SOME of the face value tickets DO end up with fans and not brokers. I bet that most of the tickets sold the last few days ended up with fans and for me it's a shame that they had to pay $155+ instead of the normal $30.

Having said that, these working-class real fans you are talking about don't all tend to be able to be signed in on Ticketmaster the minute the ticket drop or pre-sale is happening, considering that many are WORKING or taking kids to school or whatever else. Meanwhile, these ticket reselling behemoths are all stationed on multiple computers mass-refreshing so that the second the tickets drop to these super-desired events they can scoop up entire rows and sections to re-sell to whoever can afford their prices, no "real fan test" required.

Maybe, but there are controls the Kings could use (like those "enter fu5iOn 632 before proceeding" things) to limit those sales. For that matter, they could just make a policy that any broker buying more than 4 (or whatever) tickets can't buy ever again. And then enforce it. It can be done.

I actually worked for one of these companies (a ticket re-seller) and it really opened my eyes to the business. Sometimes it sucks majorly for the consumer, like it does in a game like this. In many other cases, it actually helps the consumer; when these re-sellers over-commit to a game/event and supply outweighs demand, ticket prices plummet. You can easily get tickets for well-under face value on many nights for this very reason.

I hear ya and it can...but it's just a damn shame when fans who really reallly really really really really really want to go....can't. And I know goddamn well it could be controlled.

Many teams and concerts have tried rolling out ticket sales in which buyers must be the ones to pick up their tickets at will call with photo id on the day of the event (to combat second market resale) and this is almost universally hated by everyone. What if you can't go and want to give your tickets to a friend or re-sell them yourself? People don't like being powerless over their own property.

Agreed...that's not a good way to handle it.

"Goodwill"? More like bad business. Why sell tickets at 10% of their second market value knowing full well that MOST are just going to get scooped up by those second market sellers anyway?

I wish we had real numbers to look at...

"I'm not gonna argue economics or supply and demand because the argument has nothing to do with that." Really? You are much smarter than this. I agree with you that non-STH shouldn't be considered second-rate fans, and I also agree with you that it sucks that some true fans will be priced out. But your solution is to ignore economics completely and pretend like re-selling and second market gouging to major events isn't happening?

Here's the thing...either way has upside and downside. The way it works now is great for the short-term and sucks for the long-term because it'll do for hockey what it's done for baseball...limit new fans. That's why average attendance (and ratings) for MLB is down. In the long run, it'll hurt the sport and hurt the team. Sports that need in-person attendance get KILLED when they do this.

My solution (keeping tickets affordable) lets the team make a reasonable income and gives FANatics (like me at age 25) get to lots of games. Resellers will buy up some tickets (although like I said they could put controls in place to limit that too). In the end it depends on what the goal is: maximize profits at the expense of long-term growth...or manage long-term growth at the expense of short-term profits.

Originally Posted by shoot2scor

JT: I get what you are saying and you have a very valid point. At the same time I don't see this as the Kings taking advantage of their fans at all. If anything I agree with the logic that they are trying to combat the ticket scalpers (a better way would be to attempt to limit ticket brokers from having season seats). Opening night will probably be the most expensive game of the year due to how many people want to be there. The other problem with this year which will elevate prices will be the shortened season, less games which should also provide a more intense atmosphere.

I agree, although I wish they'd focus on the controls and not just concede defeat to the resellers and raise prices.

Look what happened in the SCF's last year. The market for the tickets was insane. I know plenty of fans that probably couldn't afford it but paid the prices because it meant so much with them. Compare the prices of what people were paying in LA to what happened in PHX or even Jersey. I sat 2nd row in game 5 in PHX for $150/seat, and under $300 13 rows up in Jersey for game 5. You could not even come close to those tickets in LA for that price. Obviously a supply and demand argument again right?

Yup, but that was still face value or above, right?. But keep in mind that those game 5 tix were for home ice opponent elimination games.

Now, if the Kings were trying to $*** on their fans then I would argue that with what Darby posted above. I understand we all cannot afford season seats or just choose not to put that much money toward it but I was extremely pleased last year out how cheap our playoff and SCF tickets were. They could have easily bumped those tickets 200-300% and I think while there would have been some whining but seeing what tickets went for it would have still been a bargain.

Again, I agree. I was also pleased. And that's why this is disappointing. Game 1 of a post-lockout season costs more than game 6 of the SCF. Really? Seriously? C'mon....

Also if someone feels priced out or doesn't want to drop the cash on the home opener, there will definitely be other opportunities in the remaining schedule as rinkrat pointed out.

Not to watch the banner go up there won't...

This also can go other way. I remember people getting lowers for $20 2 years ago. When I was paying more then that for my season seats. I am not sure exactly what the right thing to do is considering the amount of scalped tickets and the demand but I actually don't think they are $***ing on the fans. They don't keep track of loyal fans that by individual tickets throughout the years. How are they to really know? You can't expect the most sought after games to be given out as charity.

Well...actually...I think it's reasonable to expect that the first game after a screw-the-fans lockout would be priced to say "Thanks" to the fans.

Look, I don't know if I'm actually gonna make it to the game. I can afford it...I don't have to sell a kidney...or 4 pints of blood...or make my daughter a Kazakstanian sex slave...it just rubs me the wrong way when tickets that normally cost $30ish cost $155+.

My season seats (sec 106) went up 18% for this season and the price hike was announced before last season ended. Prices were going up regardless of whether we made the playoffs or not. Luckily we did and now we celebrate as the Stanley Cup Champions. I'm not happy about it but I chalk it up as the cost of doing business with the Kings.

Its tiring hearing the true fan bs...It's not gouging the fans.I paid I think $160 each for game 6 and I was in the last row and I had to commit for next season which I am paying for now.Everyone pays one way or the other for a game like this.

Kings are missing out of a great opportunity. Take down the banner each game day and have a banner raising every night! Cha-ching!

The whole thing just leaves a real bad taste in my mouth. The team sucked for so many years and at the first hint of success, at a game that is a celebration for so many long-time fans, they are charging the max the market can bear. And this is happening at the first game after a lockout? Other teams are trying to win back their fans by lowering concession prices, lowering merchandise prices - and this in towns where hockey has been a hot ticket for years. The Kings? The Kings hold a press conference to announce a commercial joint venture with a corporate giant and jack ticket prices because they can. Talk about tone deaf.

Hockey is not just entertainment. Much of its allure is the tradition, the legend, the history. It is a tradition that is reverently passed down from generation to generation. It is more than just a game to a whole lot of people. It is holy to them. How many fathers would love to take their kids to the game for this special celebration? Family of four, at $150 a seat in the nosebleeds, plus parking, concessions.... How many of them will have no chance, not even a hope, of taking their family to this game at $700+ for one night? To introduce the kids to what is so dear to them? Kings had a chance to introduce new fans to the game in a very special way. It is an opportunity lost, never to return. They went for a few dollars, instead. Does Phil Anschutz really need the money?

This has nothing to do with supply/demand. This has everything to do with goodwill and understanding that the game has a delicate mystique, a mystique that is easily lost. The Kings had a chance to say to fans that the game means a lot to them, too - even if that was not very sincere. Fans would believe, because they want to believe. And all they had to do was not change anything. Instead, the Kings are reminding fans that they are nothing but wallets with feet. The very same fans who sold out game after game even though the team was not very good. Yeah, it is a business. But it is a business built on stories and legends. It likes to pretend it is special. This is a reminder that it is really not special at all. It is all about dollars and cents. No more, no less. In the long run, I think it is just plain bad business.

Originally Posted by LASportsFan84

My season seats (sec 106) went up 18% for this season and the price hike was announced before last season ended. Prices were going up regardless of whether we made the playoffs or not. Luckily we did and now we celebrate as the Stanley Cup Champions. I'm not happy about it but I chalk it up as the cost of doing business with the Kings.

Yeah, but that's before the playoffs started last season.

Don't be shocked if we all get hit with another 15 to 20% hike on top of this.