Winnipeg Blue Bombers

[esquire]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Yep. I heard on 1290 only 4 corner sections will be at that $75 price point. Next lowest price point will be $140. Highest will be $375. I'm not even sure if those prices will be include the rip-off ticketmaster fees...

You must be joking, taxes and "fees" extra. So realistically $95-$415.

The only Canadians flying in for this game will be people with drunk driving or possession records who aren't allowed to enter the US.

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by JHikka

So who's driving for the prices to be so high? The NFL teams or the stadium/BBs?

NFL determined the prices. Maybe the officials who decided this look at Winnipeg on a map and say to themselves, "Hey this is a pretty isolated city with no major cities within spitting distance so we can charge what we want and they will pay!" Minny is only 7 hours away, far closer then it looks so the NFL is most definitely an option for anyone here with a car and a passport.

Good gravy, those are outrageous prices. $280 for end zone seats. I bet those will be empty unless corporations end up buying them as group sales or hugely discounted for pennies on the dollar at the last minute.

For reference, I looked at an exhibition game between the Vikings and Seahawks at US Bank Stadium in Minny.

https://www1.ticketmaster.ca/minneso...005676D5009F66

Blue dots, which are not resale:

endzone seats - $85 US - comparable seat at IG Field - $280
40 yard line - $150 US - comparable seat at IG Field - $340
upper deck 50 yard line - $65 US - comparable seat at IG Field - $225
upper deck goal line - $31 US - comparable seat at IG Field - $140 - $160

Quite the disparity.

[esquire]

I get paying higher than average prices for a one time event, but that price chart is veering into the absurd. I will be curious to see what the uptake is. From what I can see on the presale, the cheap seats in the corner are almost gone, as are the seats behind the Packers bench (I suspect it will be a mostly pro-GB crowd despite the fact that it's nominally an Oakland home game).

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by esquire

Whoever the event promoter is, "OnIce Entertainment". In their news release, the Bombers have subtly deflected responsibility for ticket pricing on them.

For whatever reason Canadians are accustomed to paying top dollar for sports events... it's the same reason that tickets for a crap hockey team in Miami can be had for $20 while people line up to pay 10 times that to watch Edmonton's crap hockey team.

Like I said, judging by Stubhub it appears that even people in Green Bay and Oakland can't really be bothered to pony up more than the price of a beer to watch their actual home teams play preseason game. Yet we are expected to shell out hundreds of dollars... okay.

I guess OnIce figures it sell it as a once in a lifetime special event (which it very well could end up being).

It is the NFL that is deciding the prices for this game. Of course, Wade would have to have some idea of what they are charging when he decided to go ahead with this so he must be pretty confident most of the tickets will sell. If not, it will be on him and the staff of the Blue Bombers. This might actually cost the Bombers money if they don't sell enough tickets.

[plrh]

It's funny how 4 tickets are priced at about what it would cost for a group of 4 to go to Minneapolis for the weekend to see a game.

I'm gonna say 27,000 in attendance. Hopefully the bombers make some money.

[esquire]

^ Sounds about right. It will be a respectable crowd, but short of a sellout. As with Bomber games the empty seats will be in prominent lower bowl locations (the upper bowl will be mostly full).

[esquire]

An update, mainly because I'm fascinated. A few hours into the Bombers/Valour season ticket holder presale and the 4 small sections with cheap seats are sold out. The rest of the stadium has barely been touched, there are a handful of seats on the 50 that are gone, a few seats in the next-to-cheapest section are gone, but apart from that barely anything. There are entire sideline sections where it looks like there have been no seats sold yet.

[CoryB]

I won't be going. That said "below the break" (first six or seven rows) in the $75 sections are excellent seats. That said that is about 150 of them in the entire stadium.

[pspeid]

I wonder. Will this event "just" be the game or will potential ticket-buyers be lured with some extra pre-game activities? Maybe the promise of having some "NFL-style" pre-game entertainment (food, bands cheerleaders) or a fancy half-time show will make the price points more palatable?

I think the fact that the game is a "one-of" will help the ticket sales, even if it is just a pre-season game. Who knows" With the proper hype they might even get above 27,000 for the game? Heck if they get 29,000 the stadium will "look" pretty much full (we can claim everyone else is in line for the washrooms).

[JHikka]

The fact that this game is just days before Touchdown Atlantic intrigues me even further, considering that is also an event featuring high ticket prices considering the product and location.

[CoryB]

Touchdown Atlantic is basically a "home" game for the Schooners but with two "visiting" teams. Completely different thing.

[pspeid]

I also wonder how involved the Raiders/NFL will be in marketing the game? Say what you will about the NFL they are masters of hype.

[rrskylar]

Here we go the usual Winnipeg cheapskate crowd complaining about prices, it’s the NFL and one time event to see real pro football in the Peg, don’t worry it won’t happen again here ever!

Should have had the game in Calgary or Regina where no one complains about paying for stuff like they do here!

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by JHikka

The fact that this game is just days before Touchdown Atlantic intrigues me even further, considering that is also an event featuring high ticket prices considering the product and location.

Those ticket prices are outrageous as well. $108 for seats along the sideline in the end zone. $90 for seats in the back of the end zone to sit on temporary bleachers. They have only sold a few thousand as well.

All this after the last Touchdown Atlantic did not sell out at prices that were about 30 - 50% less. The CFL BOG and Leblanc blew it.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Should have had the game in Calgary or Regina where no one complains about paying for stuff like they do here!

Calgary doesn't have a stadium and Regina's is busy, so here we are.

Maybe they should've put it in Toronto where they gladly overpay for NFL tickets!

...oh wait

[pegcityboy]

Wasn’t that a regular season game also and with Buffalo the Home team and it didn’t sell well at all again ridiculous ticket prices for a boring games as it turned out .

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Here we go the usual Winnipeg cheapskate crowd complaining about prices, it’s the NFL and one time event to see real pro football in the Peg, don’t worry it won’t happen again here ever!

Should have had the game in Calgary or Regina where no one complains about paying for stuff like they do here!

You are one to talk about being negative, considering you make up one half of the Debbie Downer twin act.

And as for the "real pro football" comment, that is only your opinion.

[pspeid]

^^ Don't know how supportive Calgary fans would have been, but support from Regina fans wasn't guaranteed by a long shot. I was talking to a fellow from Regina yesterday and told him the NFL ticket prices. He said he wasn't surprised, but then went on to volunteer that Regina basically only supports the 'Riders and nothing else. He said that the Regina Pats only get indifferent support unless they are going into the playoffs, and even the biggest concerts are never sold out. He is not the first Regina native I have spoken to who has said this, so personally I feel we need to put the myth of Regina super-fandom to bed.

I also read they are planning a number of events around the NFL game; opening practices, supporting minor football, having tailgate parties, etc., so I think more people will buy tickets if they feel they can get one or two days worth of entertainment for the price. I'm also certain there are a lot of people in Winnipeg who were not as outraged by the prices as some folks here.

[esquire]

^ From what I can tell, I don't think anyone is outraged by the ticket pricing... what would be the point of that anyway? I'm just curious to see what the uptake is.

Looking at ticketmaster, it appears that if you exclude the 4 small sections of cheap seats that are sold out, I'm not sure that they've even cracked 1,000 general admission tickets (i.e. not club or skybox seating) sold.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ From what I can tell, I don't think anyone is outraged by the ticket pricing... what would be the point of that anyway? I'm just curious to see what the uptake is.

Looking at ticketmaster, it appears that if you exclude the 4 small sections of cheap seats that are sold out, I'm not sure that they've even cracked 1,000 general admission tickets (i.e. not club or skybox seating) sold.

There are 24729 seats available on ticketmaster. Capacity is 33k? Even when you exclude the seats that don't show up on ticketmaster i'm sure they have well over 1000 sold.

Also dynamic pricing is increasingly being used for events to maximize profit, even if it results in non sell-outs. Taylor Swifts recent record breaking stadium tour is an example of this. She had many non-sellouts.