NEWSLETTER
Fresh off their first World Series victory in 108 years, the Chicago Cubs are raising ticket prices ahead of the 2017 season.
Surprised?
To be sure, most teams tend to increase the price of their tickets before every season anyway, but the reason the Cubs’ increase has grabbed (perhaps) more than their fair share of headlines this afternoon is because of how much the Cubs are reportedly raising their prices.
So then, in order to steer clear of any and all reactionary hot takes, we’re going to go with a just the facts approach to this report. Exciting, isn’t it? Brett says – as he types this sentence into my post – that he’ll offer a more editorial-type-take on the ticket increase tomorrow.
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You can read all about the expected increase in ticket prices at a number of different places (Cubs.com, Crain’s Chicago Business, and the Athletic), but the gist down below.
In short, the Cubs are increasing their ticket prices, depending on the location, from as low as a 6% to as high as a 31% increase – with the biggest raise coming at the highest-end of available seats. The average total increase is 19.5%. Season-ticket holders can expect an email today with more details.
Frankly put, the demand for Cubs tickets has risen so dramatically over the past few seasons (3.2 million attended games at Wrigley Field this year, the third highest attendance figure in team history), a rise in prices is not really unexpected. It’s just how these things work.
Single game tickets go on sale in February.
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For what it’s worth, the Cubs are also adding about 200 more seats in a new section called “Bullpen Box,” which will essentially be the former location of the exterior bullpens (which are moving to a more traditional location under the outfield bleachers).
The Cubs’ business side offers explanations for the raise in ticket prices in those articles, such as the expected salary increases for their core/key players, but it is mostly reasons you’ve seen many times before with successful teams and increased demand. At The Athletic, Jon Greenberg adds that the 19.5% increase is in line with the increase the Blackhawks saw after winning their first Stanley Cup since 1961.
After averaging $48.58 per ticket in 2016, the average price of a ticket in 2017 is expected to be around $58.05.
Death, taxes, and a rise in ticket prices.
