Bulls offer dynamic pricing

by bashuck on Jan 12, 2011 4:38 PM CST

After talking to my season ticket rep he explained the Bulls now offer dynamic pricing (not currently for every game). So tickets for this Saturdays game vs the Heat are available directly through ticketmaster for $700 that otherwise would have cost $190. I dont know if they will have their 'tiers' at all next season. He said they weren't sure if they will be offering tickets for less than the price season ticket holders paid for the less desierable games.

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I'm not sure I follow...

But if they start lowering the price for less desirable games to the public, that is just gonna create unwarranted competition for season ticket holders who need to sell some of those tickets.

by BO$CO on Jan 12, 2011 5:48 PM CST reply actions

Confusing

I’m not sure I understand this post, but I think he’s saying that the Bulls may abandon the set price per ticket model (e.g., all tickets in Section 104 are $120 or $150 for premium games) and move to a model where prices increase or decrease based on demand.

Speaking as a season ticket holder, this is fine so long as no tickets are sold below what I paid for them. There already is a VERY WEAK secondary market for Bulls tickets. When I need to sell my tickets, I usually cannot get face value for them. For example, I’ve had to dump weekday Bucks and Pacers tickets for 50% of face. Throw in the fact that I am forced to buy preseason games at full price, and season tickets are hardly a “deal.” If I had to directly compete with the Bulls on cut-rate tickets, I would stop being a season ticket holder.

I should add that the Bulls already sell cut-rate tickets through intermediaries. From time to time, I get email solicitations for 100 level tickets (usually in the ends) for well below face. While not directly competitive with my tickets, these deals help to set the market price for tickets. Somone who can sit in Section 107 for $75 probably won’t be that interested in slightly better seats in 109 for $120. I think this is really an awful practice.

by Stay Chisel on Jan 12, 2011 6:17 PM CST reply actions

Clarification

Instead of a game simply being ‘premiere’ and charging between $155-$190 for lower sideline based on how desireable the game is they are having a 3rd party help them optimize what price to charge for their tickets through ticketmaster. Price could fluctuate every day. Currently it is $700 for the Heat game. If LeBron blew out his knee tonight it would go way down.

They currently aren’t pricing below season ticket holder face but that was the ‘big question’. I pointed out how through the ticket exchange we can’t sell our seats for less than face value and how it would be unacceptable for them to just charge less than we can even if we wanted to without using stubhub or something else other than the ticketexchange.

by bashuck on Jan 12, 2011 6:55 PM CST up reply actions

They better not undercut the season ticket-holders

I already have a hard enough time dumping my tickets for the less desirable games.

by JSB on Jan 12, 2011 9:52 PM CST reply actions

Yep.. unless it's like the Heat or Lakers it's pretty brutal.

by Grinder in Training on Jan 13, 2011 8:42 AM CST up reply actions

The crowd is gonna be even more silent

Did you vote for the ASG today?

by JustAnotherFan on Jan 13, 2011 5:46 AM CST reply actions

I can't blame them

Season ticket holders might be pissed off though, so they likely won’t under cut them. My guess is they’ll set a ticket minimum of face value and have an open market for the premium games.

What is really going to screw them though is the new tax increase… I know going to a bball game is now out of reach for me. I used to be a season ticket holder. (2 tickets in 321 row 2) Now the only way to make that happen again is to move to Indiana. I went to 2 games this year, with a third planned. If you make $100k as a family you won’t be able to afford to go anymore. Its a real shame.

by 72-10 on Jan 13, 2011 9:29 AM CST reply actions

I'll gladly pay the 1.6% difference

To live in Chicago over Indiana. Quality of life FTW.

And your taxes just went down for next year with the Social Security tax reduction anyways, you’re no different off than you were last year, or what you were paying under the Clinton era before the Bush tax cuts, seemed like we had no trouble packing the place then.

The tax increase is not what’s going to really screw them. The recession maybe, but taxes 1.4% higher in Illinois over Indiana certainly is not going to make it worth moving to a different state, especially not Indiana, nor is it going to change people’s spending habits.

by Grinder in Training on Jan 13, 2011 10:18 AM CST up reply actions