Stadium Discussion

[ferrarinycfc]

Not NYCFC stadium related, but an Interesting article about the struggle for crowds facing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/05/25/new-york-yankees-ticket-sales

 

[SanBartG]

Not NYCFC stadium related, but an Interesting article about the struggle for crowds facing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/05/25/new-york-yankees-ticket-sales

Entirely predictable and deserved... and I'm a Yankees fan. But the article is exactly right. Ticket prices are actually offensive now.

Let's not make the same mistake by building a stadium so costly that we lose many of our fans. Let's do it and do it well but not get carried away.

Part of me wonders if the Yankee franchise fights to keep us there indefinitely to supplement their falling ticket revenue.

 

[mgarbowski]

Not NYCFC stadium related, but an Interesting article about the struggle for crowds facing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/05/25/new-york-yankees-ticket-sales

Article told me more about the author's petty obsessions than anything factual or useful. When you're still whining about the Lonn Trost comments 15 months later you need to get a new hobby, especially when Trost said the dumb things in the context of a Yankees/StubHub feud that led to a deal. If you think the Yankees are unique in valuing customers who spend a lot of money over customers who spend not so much, you've apparently never been to a bank or resort, or on an airplane.

 

[SanBartG]

Article told me more about the author's petty obsessions than anything factual or useful. When you're still whining about the Lonn Trost comments 15 months later you need to get a new hobby, especially when Trost said the dumb things in the context of a Yankees/StubHub feud that led to a deal. If you think the Yankees are unique in valuing customers who spend a lot of money over customers who spend not so much, you've apparently never been to a bank or resort, or on an airplane.

True but banks, resorts and airplanes are not "America's past time." Part of the traditional allure of baseball was that a working family could see a game. It was the working man's entertainment. Sadly, those days are a thing of the past in the Bronx.

 

[Kjbert]

Entirely predictable and deserved... and I'm a Yankees fan. But the article is exactly right. Ticket prices are actually offensive now.

Let's not make the same mistake by building a stadium so costly that we lose many of our fans. Let's do it and do it well but not get carried away.

Part of me wonders if the Yankee franchise fights to keep us there indefinitely to supplement their falling ticket revenue.

If they want us there, they need to make some concessions

 

[Kjbert]

BTW - LAFC just closed on a deal to build a $30 Million training facility in LA

 

[JGarrettLieb]

Article told me more about the author's petty obsessions than anything factual or useful. When you're still whining about the Lonn Trost comments 15 months later you need to get a new hobby, especially when Trost said the dumb things in the context of a Yankees/StubHub feud that led to a deal. If you think the Yankees are unique in valuing customers who spend a lot of money over customers who spend not so much, you've apparently never been to a bank or resort, or on an airplane.

Agreed, if the author had just stuck to the economics of the story it would have been a stronger work. And there is a definite economic argument to be made that the lower level seats are too expensive. Firms are clearly deciding that there are other places to better spend their marketing budgets than Yankees suites because of increased cost. Ditto wealthy people and lower level seats.

Though it's somewhat irrelevant if total revenue has increased, which I suspect it hasn't given how empty the stadium has looked. If they can get a full stadium with a 20% ticket price cut, assuming even distribution of empty seats currently, then they're going to make more money.

 

[Ulrich]

BTW - LAFC just closed on a deal to build a $30 Million training facility in LA

Entirely paid for by the owners. Not sure if they were turned down by the University/City for "assistance" or simply wanted to make progress without the hassle of waiting, but LAFC is on the fast train to being ready.

What's also interesting is I read this week LAFC has already sold out their lux boxes and lux seating - they are the hot ticket item in their city right now. It helps that they have star power as owners and I'm willing to bet their network of associates in the film/media world are getting in early.

CFG should take notice because MLS is about to have a new darling club that doesn't seem to have the same negative connotations that MLS followers have attached to NYCFC; this makes the stadium that much more important to pull the trigger on. I'm all for living within ones means, but CFG may have to start throwing money around to either get land bought/overpay, or to persuade reluctant politicians to support the cause.

 

[SanBartG]

Agreed, if the author had just stuck to the economics of the story it would have been a stronger work. And there is a definite economic argument to be made that the lower level seats are too expensive. Firms are clearly deciding that there are other places to better spend their marketing budgets than Yankees suites because of increased cost. Ditto wealthy people and lower level seats.

Though it's somewhat irrelevant if total revenue has increased, which I suspect it hasn't given how empty the stadium has looked. If they can get a full stadium with a 20% ticket price cut, assuming even distribution of empty seats currently, then they're going to make more money.

This was the first and only year I have actually seen the Yankees advertising to sell tickets on television. Maybe I missed in past years... but if not, it's certainly ane

Entirely paid for by the owners. Not sure if they were turned down by the University/City for "assistance" or simply wanted to make progress without the hassle of waiting, but LAFC is on the fast train to being ready.

What's also interesting is I read this week LAFC has already sold out their lux boxes and lux seating - they are the hot ticket item in their city right now. It helps that they have star power as owners and I'm willing to bet their network of associates in the film/media world are getting in early.

CFG should take notice because MLS is about to have a new darling club that doesn't seem to have the same negative connotations that MLS followers have attached to NYCFC; this makes the stadium that much more important to pull the trigger on. I'm all for living within ones means, but CFG may have to start throwing money around to either get land bought/overpay, or to persuade reluctant politicians to support the cause.

forgive my ignorance but what negative connotations have MLS followers attached to NYCFC and why?

Totally agree with your post regarding the need to self finance to make progress.

 

[Ulrich]

forgive my ignorance but what negative connotations have MLS followers attached to NYCFC and why?

Totally agree with your post regarding the need to self finance to make progress.

The greater body of MLS fans hate NYCFC because MLS allowed CFG to buy the expansion rights without having a guaranteed stadium plan in place. Every new team has to have a schedule to complete a SSS but we are still playing in a converted baseball venue. Fans also despise us for the potential of the club to throw money at players (pure jealousy since other teams spend as much: LA, Tor, Sea), and they feel that NYCFC fans are "plastic" for jumping on the bandwagon when MLS/RB has been around for ages. Lastly, they feel we are simply a farm team for MCFC.

 

[SanBartG]

The greater body of MLS fans hate NYCFC because MLS allowed CFG to buy the expansion rights without having a guaranteed stadium plan in place. Every new team has to have a schedule to complete a SSS but we are still playing in a converted baseball venue. Fans also despise us for the potential of the club to throw money at players (pure jealousy since other teams spend as much: LA, Tor, Sea), and they feel that NYCFC fans are "plastic" for jumping on the bandwagon when MLS/RB has been around for ages. Lastly, they feel we are simply a farm team for MCFC.

I can kind of, sort of understand the first point. Looks like a bit of special treatment which is frustrate people. The other two (no doubting you are correct) seem like piss poor excuses to have Kreis-like fits about nonsense.

 

[sbrylski]

The greater body of MLS fans hate NYCFC because MLS allowed CFG to buy the expansion rights without having a guaranteed stadium plan in place. Every new team has to have a schedule to complete a SSS but we are still playing in a converted baseball venue. Fans also despise us for the potential of the club to throw money at players (pure jealousy since other teams spend as much: LA, Tor, Sea), and they feel that NYCFC fans are "plastic" for jumping on the bandwagon when MLS/RB has been around for ages. Lastly, they feel we are simply a farm team for MCFC.

Adding more: Our local minority owner, the New York Yankees, are nicknamed "the Evil Empire." Our foreign majority owners are directly connected to major human rights violations.

 

[Ulrich]

I can kind of, sort of understand the first point. Looks like a bit of special treatment which is frustrate people. The other two (no doubting you are correct) seem like piss poor excuses to have Kreis-like fits about nonsense.

There was actually a plan being finalized in conjunction with the City/Bloomberg, but then he left office and DiBlasio killed all city construction that didn't have affordable housing as part. MLS/CFG needed to get the process rolling two years earlier to take advantage of Bloomberg's construction renaissance in the city. Totally a missed opportunity.

Edit- MLS would not be where they're at with the TV deal and attendance without NYCFC. RB wasn't getting it done as a flagship entity, and our team has brought real notoriety to the league that is helping every other team/owner out. We create sellouts when we go on the road, nobody else does. That leads to more revenue and better tv audiences. The lack of a stadium is a small price for the league to acquiesce on since the benefits of having a legitimate NYC team far outweigh the perceived negative of giving us a pass.

 

[adam]

True but banks, resorts and airplanes are not "America's past time." Part of the traditional allure of baseball was that a working family could see a game. It was the working man's entertainment. Sadly, those days are a thing of the past in the Bronx.

America's past time now takes place in the minor leagues. But the major leagues have become big business and that's all it's set up for. TV money killed the golden age and its gone forever.

 

[LionNYC]

The greater body of MLS fans hate NYCFC because MLS allowed CFG to buy the expansion rights without having a guaranteed stadium plan in place. Every new team has to have a schedule to complete a SSS but we are still playing in a converted baseball venue. Fans also despise us for the potential of the club to throw money at players (pure jealousy since other teams spend as much: LA, Tor, Sea), and they feel that NYCFC fans are "plastic" for jumping on the bandwagon when MLS/RB has been around for ages. Lastly, they feel we are simply a farm team for MCFC.

As said, we had a stadium plan in place, shovels ready, until de Blasio stepped in.

All threads lead to the stadium thread. All stadium ideas point to the fact that de Blasio is terrible for this city.

 

[Gotham Gator]

True but banks, resorts and airplanes are not "America's past time." Part of the traditional allure of baseball was that a working family could see a game. It was the working man's entertainment. Sadly, those days are a thing of the past in the Bronx.

Yeah, but that pendulum may be swinging back the other way. The 3rd and 4th level seats are a lot cheaper now. They have a $15 ticket that gets you in the door and buys you a beer. Plus, the resale prices on the good seats are lower than they've ever been.

The bigger issue remains the concessions, which are very expensive and almost uniformly terrible. The price of getting a family of four into the stadium may now be under $100, but you'll spend a lot more than that to feed them all. Many of the working stiffs will just bring food, but that's not any fun and doesn't leave people thinking they had a great time.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I saw that the Yankee concessions company, Legends, has been a big business success and is going to operate the new LA football stadium. Hopefully for the guys out west they'll do a better job there than here.

 

[LionNYC]

Yeah, but that pendulum may be swinging back the other way. The 3rd and 4th level seats are a lot cheaper now. They have a $15 ticket that gets you in the door and buys you a beer. Plus, the resale prices on the good seats are lower than they've ever been.

The bigger issue remains the concessions, which are very expensive and almost uniformly terrible. The price of getting a family of four into the stadium may now be under $100, but you'll spend a lot more than that to feed them all. Many of the working stiffs will just bring food, but that's not any fun and doesn't leave people thinking they had a great time.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I saw that the Yankee concessions company, Legends, has been a big business success and is going to operate the new LA football stadium. Hopefully for the guys out west they'll do a better job there than here.

It's really funny...Article from 2011 regarding price hikes at RBA...

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/11/21/Facilities/Red-Bull-Arena.aspx

The New York Red Bulls are more than doubling the cost of suites at Red Bull Arena, making them the most expensive premium seats in Major League Soccer, as part of a ticket restructuring that includes outside firm Legends Hospitality Management overseeing suite and season-ticket sales for the team.

 

[Ulrich]

It's really funny...Article from 2011 regarding price hikes at RBA...

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/11/21/Facilities/Red-Bull-Arena.aspx

The New York Red Bulls are more than doubling the cost of suites at Red Bull Arena, making them the most expensive premium seats in Major League Soccer, as part of a ticket restructuring that includes outside firm Legends Hospitality Management overseeing suite and season-ticket sales for the team.

Legends is a totally shit company. They're out of touch with the type of food people want to eat (healthy choices) and the price point that people won't begrudge paying. They're like the slumlord that harasses you for repairs to the heating and plumbing while jacking up your rent at the same time.

Once a stadium plan is in place, CFG would be wise to buy out the Yankees and sever ties with them and Legends. Hire somebody senior from the concessions team at Atlanta's Mercedes Benz stadium or Minnesota's new NFL stadium, both of which are leaders in the revamp to healthy/affordable/mom&pop concessions.

 

[mgarbowski]

Agreed, if the author had just stuck to the economics of the story it would have been a stronger work. And there is a definite economic argument to be made that the lower level seats are too expensive. Firms are clearly deciding that there are other places to better spend their marketing budgets than Yankees suites because of increased cost. Ditto wealthy people and lower level seats.

Though it's somewhat irrelevant if total revenue has increased, which I suspect it hasn't given how empty the stadium has looked. If they can get a full stadium with a 20% ticket price cut, assuming even distribution of empty seats currently, then they're going to make more money.

Agreed. Fair to say the ticket prices are too high. Arguably wrong, but fair (also arguably right -- I think we lack sufficient info to judge). And that Yankee exec's remarks were graceless and stupid, but let it go. Finally, it's not like the Knicks or Giants make it easy for people of modest means to sit courtside or behind the Giants bench. It's just how it is.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Who the hell wants healthy food at the stadium? I want the unhealthy stuff, but high quality. I don't want to pay $12 for a burger that's half soybean filler.