This game is lost :)

Agree they would prefer a full stadium for a number of reasons but tickets for games where there are going to be empty seats will not attract a premium on the secondary market anyway so increased pricing doesn't make sense. It's the games/events which WILL be sold out and as a result are profitable for scalpers which should be increasing their prices. And it's not like it isn't known in advance which games will likely sell out. They already know fairly accurately how much demand there will be.

Quote: Aussie

Perhaps NFL isnt the best example (outside the super bowl) because as you say, TV rights are $5b per year but with something like tennis where hardly anyone cares about it outside of the grand slams I would have thought that maximising ticket revenue would have been a pretty high priority.

The NFL labors under scarcity. There are only 8 home games, excluding playoffs. That's why the MNF in Mexico is a BIG deal. Bad teams can have trouble selling out tickets even so. But compared to baseball (not a real sport), where there are about 50 home games per season, we're talking about completely different price dynamics.

A tennis tournament is even more scarce: there's one US Open per year. But it's spread over several days, with plenty of matches. I assume the quarter finals and succeeding games all sell out (in singles, at least). But earlier matches depend on who's playing. So, again, different dynamics.

I think most NFL season tickets include the pre-season (two home games), but not the playoffs. Though season-ticket holders have a crack first for post season tickets.

Quote: Aussie

Agree they would prefer a full stadium for a number of reasons but tickets for games where there are going to be empty seats will not attract a premium on the secondary market anyway so increased pricing doesn't make sense. It's the games/events which WILL be sold out and as a result are profitable for scalpers which should be increasing their prices. And it's not like it isn't known in advance which games will likely sell out. They already know fairly accurately how much demand there will be.

Like I said, I don't understand why they do not use tech. A regular auction probably a bit difficult, hence my thought of a Dutch Auction.

Won't matter to me, I have probably been to my last major league game and for sure my last (and only!) concert. Just don't get the thrill.

Quote: Aussie

I'm sure they get a cut of online exchange sales but again, why not price the tickets at a point where they will maximise revenue in the first place?

You'd suppose venues and teams know this and have thought about it. Perhaps the effect would be to drive re-sale prices even higher. Perhaps the intent of the official or sanctioned re-sale sites is to allow ticket holders who can't make it to a game to sell their tickets instead? I assume, BTW, these days many tickets are "electronic." This means selling them isn't as easy without cooperation from the original seller

I know the NFL Network advertises more than one "ticket exchange" web sites, including the NFL's own. So they're ok with this.

I vaguely recall an SNL sketch where Roy Scheider (of Jaws fame) is reselling Super Bowl tickets for $5 million right outside the stadium. He can't sell them.

Quote: Nareed

But compared to baseball (not a real sport), where there are about 50 home games per season, we're talking about completely different price dynamics.

81 home games.

Quote: DRich

81 home games.

Really? And they actually sell tickets to all of them? :)

Quote: Nareed

Really? And they actually sell tickets to all of them? :)

Small place like Fenway park
yup

There's an ep of The Simpson when homer tries to go a month without drinking. He comes to the epiphany that baseball is boring without beer. And this is a man who's easily entertained ;)

Quote: Nareed

There's an ep of The Simpson when homer tries to go a month without drinking. He comes to the epiphany that baseball is boring without beer. And this is a man who's easily entertained ;)

People used to say politics was boring. Since you are so easily bored Nareed Trump must have been a godsend for you ;-)

Quote: kenarman

People used to say politics was boring. Since you are so easily bored Nareed Trump must have been a godsend for you ;-)

Politics is not boring, it's infuriating.

I'm not easily bored.

Trump might be a godsend. It would fit the Christian god to send a sexual abuser and bigot to lord it over a diverse nation.