I received my season ticket renewal packet from the Warriors on Saturday. There were rumors flying around about price reductions, but no firm discussion on if they were across the board or for certain sections. Well now I know, they are for a select few sections. The choice of what section(s) received reductions was likely driven by the ticket holders price sensitivity, longevity, likelyhood that the section could be converted to a mini-plan, ease of giving that section(s) deep discounts and promotions on a game by game basis etc.
The Warriors have improved dramatically over the years in their ability to sell mini-plans and single game tickets. Multiple promotions that drive down the value of already purchased season tickets, and reduce the ability of STH's to sell tickets to games they can't attend or aren't interested in. A better way for a STH to think of their tickets face and purchased value is to say; "My $75 ticket is worth $75 to the Lakers, Spurs, Boston, Cleveland, worth $50 the rest of the playoff bound teams and it's worth the same price as the cheapest lower bowl promo that the Warriors are running on any given night for everyone else"
For background, my season ticket holder experience over the years.
- From 93-98 I shared seats with a friend, tickets were in his name, upper deck, in the corner.
- I had my own seats in the lower corners for a couple of years in 00-02. Those seats were in the same price category as the seats I have now, at $4,167.
- For 02-03 I bought 1/4 of a season from another Warriorsworld forum member, center court, about 20 rows from the floor. Great seats. Nate Thurmond had the seats in front of us. Those were $1,875 for a 1/4 season.
- In 03-05 I shared with Playmaker and his friends, seats across the aisle from where I am today, $984 for 1/4 of the season.
- In 05 I went back to having my own seats. Total spent for the past 4 seasons 23,521.60 for season tickets. In 2005 my seats cost $4,988. For the 2008-2009 season they went up to $6,450, a 30% increase over 3 years. The pricing for these seats stays the same for the 2009-2010 season.
Since 1995 I have spent roughly $38,000 on warriors tickets. For that I have 1 playoff appearance, 4 playoff home games.
In the worst economy in recent memory, with companies cutting benefits, pay, bonuses. In California where we have the highest unemployment in the nation, some of the highest state taxes, sales taxes, gas prices, housing prices the Warriors have come out with their reward for this, long suffering, Warriors fan. Your pricing, stays the same, and here are 8 reasons why you should be excited about paying some of the highest ticket prices in the league, for one of the worst teams in the league.
8. Easy payments: New flexible payment schedule allows you to place just a 15% deposit by April 9, 2009. Pay your remaining seven payments through November 15, 2009.
7. Frozen / Reduced pricing: Pay 2008-2009 prices and/or renew at reduced pricing.
6. Team Event: Attend a 2009-2010 team event for you and 1 guest
5. Shirt off our back: Receive an autographed jersey from the Warriors player of your choice if deposit payment is made by April 9, 2009. No exceptions.
4. Priority upgrade: Priority to receive upgrade to best available seat locations before the general public.
3. Youth is served: Ellis, Biedrins, Randolph, Bellinelli and Wright are key members of youngest and most exciting roster in the NBA!
2. Oracle arena: Because a great time out with 19,000 of the best fans in the NBA would not be the same without you
1. You're a big part of the game plan
8. Easy payments: Deposit by April 9th, how convenient it coincides with needing to file/pay my taxes and the deadline for the second installment on property taxes. You would be hard pressed to find a worse date for any taxpayer or small business.7. Frozen / Reduced pricing: After raising prices 30% over 4 years I can lock in my 09-10 pricing at last years inflated pricing, before I see if the team is going to do anything to even try to get to the playoffs and win a championship?6. Team Event: Great, haven't had one of these in a while, guess now that you know people won't renew you are making an effort. Take a page from the Sharks, their fan outreach is amazing, the W's only roll out the players, bobble heads and management whey they are desperate to sell tickets. Disclaimer, management and bobble heads may be hard to tell apart.5. Shirt off our back: Fabulous, let me choose a Warriors player that I like, but wait everytime I get an autographed jersey that player gets traded. Seriously, I do appreciate you providing a benefit to existing STH's that you usually only reserve for new STH's.4. Priority upgrade: You mean the priority upgrade that has year after year put me in seats behind people that are in their first year as a STH?3. Youth is served: Kudos for writing this one with a straight face. Youth is served. Served what? Water on the bench while they watch Jackson play 48 minutes a night?2. Oracle arena: The worst food at the highest prices in the NBA, a parking lot that takes an hour to get out of if you don't leave early, $15 parking, East Bay traffic, some of the worst in game entertainment in the NBA. I still wake up in a cold sweat reliving the 'Jazzersize' half time show from a few weeks back.1. You're a big part of the game plan: Yeah, plan to be without me this year. I am sure my seats will make a great mini-plan.
8. Throwing your money away is usually easy.7. They would raise the prices if anyone was willing to pay more.
6. The notion of "team" requires playing together…you know, passing, defense, stuff like that. So no, it isn't really a team event.
5. If I wanted a signed jersey that much, there are less painful and expensive ways of getting one.
4. Upgrades? Great. It's not torture enough to watch the team get smoked from where I'm sitting. I want to reallllly feel the pain.
3. Youngest roster on the bench, is more like it. Players are more exciting when you see them play.
2. If I love Oracle Arena so much, I can always go there to see a concert. Then I might actually be entertained.
1. I'm part of the game plan? Cool. Does that mean I can fire people? I know just where to start.
8 Paying zero and staying home is easier in this economy.7 'Freezing' prices after jacking them up more than anyone in the NBA the past couple of years is colder than you think.
6 No thanks, i know this team stinks already, i don't need to meet them.
5 See #6 – i don't need their shirts either.
4 I'm sure you have available seats, after running away from the only success this team has had in decades like it was anthrax.
3 The NBA measures success by wins, not by youth. When you're out of the playoffs by December again, you learn this.
2 Maybe you'd have 19,000 of the best fans in the NBA again if you focused on the team on the court instead of petty management dramas in the front office.
1 After 15 years of chris cohan and robert rowell, winning clearly isn't part of the warriors game plan