The death of season tickets as we know them

Let me start by saying I am proud season ticket holder. For the past decade I have purchased season tickets each year for Arkansas State University football, basketball and baseball, and for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.

Unfortunately for college and pro sports marketers, my loyalty is becoming increasingly rare as season ticket sales declines have been significant in virtually every major sport played in the United States. The list of reasons is often talked about. But I think it is more important to consider creative ideas on how to generate consistent, loyal fan support and attendance at sporting events over the next decade.

One of the biggest stories this year in pursuit of this goal is the innovative new “season ticketing” plan rolled out by the Oakland A’s that I think serves as a template of what sports marketers will promote for college and pro teams in the next few years.

In July 2018, the Oakland A’s made the announcement they are scrapping their traditional season-ticket format and are introducing a more flexible system in which fans will have a variety of options at every home game. The program called A’s Access can be paid at rates starting as low as $20 per month ($240 annually) and provides members general-admission access to every game, and additional benefits including half-price concessions, discounted parking, 25% off merchandise and upgrade credits for games not included in a reserved-ticket plan. The plan provides the type of flexibility most consumers increasingly demand. The plan allows fans to go to as many home games as they want in the general admission area, and for a certain number of games, they can upgrade to reserved seats closer to the field. This appeals to fans who may want different experiences in a particular year depending on their work schedule, maybe a new baby at home, or possibly just whether their favorite team is good or not that season.

Tying in concessions and parking as part of the plan is essential if marketers are to start reversing the attendance decline at college and pro games. These are consistently two of the biggest complaints I hear, especially from college-age sports fans. The 50% off concessions is also something that makes a marketing impression when someone pays $6 for a soda and the person in the line next to them pays $3. These types of benefits also improve the value proposition to fans. Parking is an even bigger potential opportunity as many casual fans pay more to park than they do to attend the game, and it is often a tipping point for keeping younger fans at home where they can park free and watch on a high-definition television.

The A’s rank in the bottom 15% in MLB attendance in 2018, and it is often easier for marketers to be bold when they feel as if they don’t have much to lose. However, sports marketers should not be complacent even if they have not seen as significant decline as Oakland.

Younger consumers have grown up in a world where they can use StubHub to simply buy tickets for the games they want without the cost and hassle of buying season tickets. But younger consumers have also become very comfortable with the type of “Netflix” pricing model the A’s Access program offers. For $20 or $30 per month, an A’s Access member knows they can go to a game and sit with their friends last minute, and they can also sit closer to the field if they want to see Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout or the New York Yankees play on a specific night.

I am going to keep buying season tickets because of my love of the teams I support. But I don’t think the status quo is going to be enough to get my son and daughter to buy them for their families a generation from now. Marketers must be creative and I think a flexible ticketing system with monthly subscription pricing and discounted chicken tenders is good place to start.
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Editor’s note: Dr. Shane Hunt is the R.M. “Bob” Wood Endowed Professor in Sales Leadership and Professor of Marketing at Arkansas State University. The opinions expressed are those of the author.