Having endured the embarrassment of empty seats during several of its initial home games in its new stadium, the New York Yankees announced late Tuesday, April 28, that it was cutting the prices of some of its Legends Suite and other premium tickets, slashing the price of the infamous $2,500-per-game seats by 50 percent.
The team, which had been hammered in the media in recent weeks over the price of the seats, made the announcement in a press release. “On Tuesday, in response to the current economy and a few hundred Suite Seats in premium locations not being sold on a full-season basis, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner announced in a statement a program that adjusts certain prices and benefits affecting those seats.”
Fans who already purchased premium tickets at the higher price levels will receive comparable tickets for additional games for free, according to Steinbrenner.
From the press release:
-Tickets in the first row of sections 15A, 15B, 24B and 25 will be reduced, from $2,500 to $1,250, per regular-season game.
-The first row of sections 11, 12, 13, 27B, 28 and 29 will drop, from $1,000 to $650, per regular-season game.
-All fans who purchased full-season, $2,500 Legends Suite seats in the first row of sections 16-24A will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite seats in the first row of the same sections for each of the remaining regular-season games this season.
-Fans who purchased full-season, $1,250 Legends Suite seats will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite seats in the same price category for 24 games during the season, as selected by the Yankees.
-Those who purchased full-season, $850 Legends Suite seats will receive an equal number of seats in the same price category for eight games and in the $500 Legends Suite price category for four games this season, as selected by the Yankees.
-Fans who purchased tickets in the $600 Legends Suite seats will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the $500 Legends Suite price category, selected by the Yankees, for 10 games this season.
-Those who purchased full-season $500 Legends Suite seats will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the $500 Legends Suite price category for eight games during the ’09 season.
-Future ’09 regular-season sales of full-season $1,250, $850, $600 and $500 Legends Suite seats will receive comparable benefits this season — subject to availability.
-The Delta SKY 360 Suite in the first row of sections 218A-222 will be reduced, from $750 to $550, for each regular-season game. All fans who have purchased those could receive a refund or credit if they choose.
Earlier this month, Steinbrenner admitted that he believed that some ticket prices were too high, but he did not signal that a price reduction was coming quickly. However, as the empty seats continued to turn up during game telecasts, the team knew it had a public relations nightmare brewing.
“We understand that a lot of our fans are struggling. I mean, this is the worst recession in most of our lifetimes,” Steinbrenner was quoted saying to the Associated Press. “But at the same time I think baseball has always been an escape for people, you know? And I think what we’re going to provide here is an unbelievable experience for thousands and thousands of our fans that, despite the troubles they’re going through right now, maybe they’ll be able to get away for two or three hours, get their minds off things. And we’re going to make that experience, you know, tremendous.”
