The first year in the team’s new stadium, the New York Mets were certainly not expecting this.
With the injury plagued team struggling below the .500 mark, officials are discounting prime tickets for select games at Citi Field in August and September through a promotion with Broadway and theater discount specialist TheaterMania.com.
A total of 15 games are being discounted, and prices are being slashed by 33 percent to 50 percent through the program. Some tickets with original face values of $180 are now being offered at the fire-sale price of $90, and even some $60 seats are being sold for $40. Click on the screen shot below to view the whole initiative.
That the team is cutting the price on some tickets, in and of itself, is not necessarily a big deal. But, included in the select games being discounted are match ups against divisional rivals the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, in addition to possible playoff teams the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
Over estimating demand, and not adjusting fast enough to the slumping economy, both the Mets and New York Yankees have experienced slow ticket sales throughout the season, dating back to April. And, the teams are not the only ones to have felt the pinch this season.
“We’re losing money on every ticket we sell now,” said one Northeastern ticket broker, who requested anonymity, about the Mets. “April thru July was ok, but August and September will be losers.” He added that overall, he still expects to at least break even on the season, but he and other brokers were expecting significantly better sales.
“The face value of the tickets is ridiculously high and the team has spent no money during the season to make the team better, likely due to the reported $700 million the Wilpon family [owners of the team] lost with Bernie Madoff,” the broker said, adding that the team may face more empty seats next season if it does not either lower ticket prices or invest in improving the team, or both.
TicketNews contacted the team’s media relations and marketing departments for comment but the team did not respond by press time.
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