Just days before sending out the invoices to season ticket holders, the Green Bay Packers have announced they are raising 2015 ticket prices for the sixth straight year.
In a prepared statement Packers team president Mark Murphy explained his case for the increases, which ranged from $3 to $5 per seat, depending on location.
“We project this increase will place us 18th in average ticket price, which is just below the NFL average,” said Packers president Mark Murphy. “We use that benchmark each year to help us determine pricing so we maintain great value for season ticket holders and provide a fair share to our partner teams.”
The cheapest end zone seat will increase $3 and cost $80 under the new pricing policy.
The Packers best sideline seats (between the 20’s) will rise to $105 each, an increase of $5. While other NFC North opponents have yet to declare increases for 2015, the 2014 pricing for the best sideline seat for the Bears was $200, Vikings $161 and Lions $195.
There is also apparently a forthcoming plan to offer pricing that will differ by game for the same seat depending on perceived value. For example patrons will pay less for pre-season games and less-popular opponents, but more for games with significant interest.
Prior to the six yearly increases, end zone seats were priced at $59 and premium between-the-20’s sold for $72. Increases over the six years are approximately 36% for end zone seats and 46% for the sidelines.
According to Forbes Magazine in 2014 the Packers are valued at $1,375M an increase of 16% over the previous year, and are the 16th highest valued team in the NFL. The magazine also reported that the team’s debt to value ratio was the best in the NFL, reflecting a strong financial picture and sound investments.
In an effort to supplement local game day income the Packers have been active in recent years purchasing private property to the west of Lambeau Field. A yet-to-be-announced development featuring other revenue producing enterprises such as hotels, entertainment venues and retail shops will be built. A Cabela’s Sporting Goods store opened on this property two years ago, the first of many other attractions to come.
The Packers organization reportedly has approximately $321M in reserve and there is obviously no immediate financial need for an increase. So why raise prices yet again on a price-weary clientele? The answer appears to be ‘because we can’. With the team boasting a season ticket waiting list of almost 81,000 people, should some decide not to renew, there would be many others willingly ready to take their place.
Payment is due in the Packers’ ticket office March 31.
——————Jeff Albrecht grew up just north of Green Bay and was lucky enough to attend some of the Lombardi Era classic games, like the 1962 championship and the Ice Bowl. Jeff went on to play HS football in the Green Bay area and College ball at UW - Stevens Point. Jeff is retired but still does some writing for his local paper. Jeff is a writer with AllGreenBayPackers.com and you can follow him on twitter at @pointerjeff .
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Well, I thought you would at least give a report card on the packer President Mark Murphy, seeing how this site has been grading players and coaches over the past several weeks. What’s he get for raising prices?
https://allgbp.com/2015/02/20/mark-murphy-2014-green-bay-packers-evaluation-and-report-card/
Nothing like kicking the blue collar workers of America right square in the ding ding. You can have 80,000 people on your list, what happens when they find out how much they have to pay? How many on that list that can actually afford season tickets? It is ok right now because of the great success the team has enjoyed. What happens after Rodgers? You will be giving tickets away unless Favre comes back out of retirement….
How are the Packers kicking anyone, anywhere? Seriously, the prices reflect what the market will bear, so how should they adjust to that? Freeze prices as an accomodation, and in doing so compromise their economic viability and risk the long-term future of the franchise so that the ‘blue collar workers of America’ have access to the product they’re selling, market forces be damned? Better then that the Packers adopt an ‘affordable’ pricing policy, indexed to income so as to not incur the wrath of the proletariat?
What about the other disenfranchised segments of the population that feels they’re entitled to special consideration? A pricing schedule for fast-food workers? Retail clerks? Healthcare attendants? What about the ‘white collar workers’?
Welfare or entitled people don’t work and don’t deserve shit. My point is that I have worked hard my whole life and would love to take my family of 5 to a Packers game. It would roughly cost me about $2,000 to do that. That is a pretty expensive day. I don’t blame the Packers, I blame obammy. He spends too much of my hard earned money.
A lot of blame for everyone, but not a lot of personal responsibility. Some people can afford it. Next time, maybe make better career choices. I’m sure you loved the brainless 40, with plenty of bar time after the whistle with your union brothers getting wet at the tavern across the street from the plant, while the guys that run the program get to work about double that. Who really has the sense of entitlement here? No one said boo about welfare.
Not everyone gets everything, comrade.
$239.94 NFL Direct TV – all games – all year – for my wife and me – I’m a Packer shareholder and she’s a Bronco fan – don’t ask about the 1997 Super Bowl.
Anyway we have been to (2) Packer games and (2) Bronco games. Once you include travel, motels and food it is insanely expensive.
I mean $80 for an end zone seat??? Buy one of those cushion seats they sell at Lambeau with a back so you don’t have a 3 week backache from the aluminum benches and compare it to Direct TV and I will cook my own brats and buy my own beer and watch at home.
Incidentally, I was at Yankee Stadium for the World Series when the Milwaukee Braves played the Yankees in 1957 – (2) seats for all (4) games – it was a (7) game series. Tickets $10.00 The subway then was a dime from Manhattan (where I lived) to the Bronx. Total cost $80.80 for 2 people all four games plus travel. Yeah, I know – inflation – blah, blah, blah. Those seats were right behind 1st Base. Best seats in the stadium. Hot dogs 25 cents – Coke – 25 cents
Something has gone crazy – Salaries.
Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Casey Stengel, Whitey Ford, Red Schoendienst and Warren Spahn were all Hall of Famers in that Series. In 1957 Yogi Berra was the highest paid in the Majors – $65,000 a year.
Punters today get a $1,000,000 a year.
Just sayin’
Something to think about.
You spent $250 on a piece of memorabilia and you’re bitching about prices?
“Yeah, I know – inflation – blah, blah, blah.” You slept through econ classes, didn’t you?
You can’t follow a train of thought. Were you home schooled by a pet goldfish? No, you are not even that smart,
There is a happy medium here. In the ’50s, NFL players had to get summer jobs, despite the real risk of permanent injury. Most had to work after their days in the NFL ended. In some ways they deserved more pay, but the market is the market. That said, with 1 child just done with college and another looking to start soon, I can’t justify taking the family to see very many pro games. I owned a business, and paid people what the market required. GB’s front office has to follow the realities of the market too.
If there was a train of thought, I would have tried to follow it, but all I came across was a smoldering pile of random bitching that was more like a train wreck than a train of thought.
GB is running a business. GB raised prices moderately “because they can,” but I have no doubt that they could have raised prices more. Having a $321 million reserve will come in handy when Rodgers retires, and perhaps revenue from merchandising and other sources goes down. Seems to me that the board of directors is the finances in a sound manner, emulating TT’s handling of the salary cap.