NEWSLETTER
So, new owner Tom Ricketts hasn’t wasted time in cashing in on the golden calf that is Chicago Cubs fan attendance. The team has instituted some serious hikes on ticket prices for “premium” games. Those premium games are called all kinds of crazy metal names – platinum, bronze, molybdenum – but it basically just means you’ll be paying more.
Despite a difficult economy and coming off a disappointing season, new Chairman Tom Ricketts thinks the demand will be strong again, justifying significant increases for the most expensive tickets.
Club box outfield seats will increase by nearly 19 percent for so-called “platinum” games, a new ticket price tier that was introduced in 2009, and will nearly double from 14 games to 26 next year.
The most expensive seat will be a platinum club infield box, which was raised by $12, or a 12 percent increase from $100 to $112. The cheapest tickets will be $9 for an upper deck outfield reserved seat for one of the six “bronze” games on weekdays in April, May and September.
The Cubs maintain that half of the ticket inventory will remain about the same, while the average price increase will be $2 for “gold” games and $5 for “platinum” games. A 1 percent rise in the city amusement tax, from 11 to 12 percent, also figured into the price hike. chicagotribune.com.
Notice how differently the Tribune reports a story like this now that they don’t own the team.
