Sunday, March 27, 2011
Posted: 11:33 p.m.
By Tim Panaccio
CSNPhilly.com
Flyer season ticket holders will begin receiving new invoices this week that reflect an entirely new price structure throughout Wells Fargo Center for 2011-12.
And a ticket increase, as well.
The objective, according to Shawn Tilger, Flyers senior vice-president of business operations, was to restructure prices depending on view, seating, overall location and other factors including inequities within seating, plus market demand for specific tickets.
In terms of inequities, for instance, a fan at the very top row near the blue line is currently paying the same amount as a fan in row three center ice. That is no longer the case.
We are rescaling the arena so that our revenues are more in line with other top teams in the National Hockey League, said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. This rescaling still allows us the opportunity to provide affordable pricing options for our fans.
Tilger said the Flyers marketing and sales department researched this for eight months using statistics from the NHL, in-house and outside sales, secondary market research (StubHub, eBay etc.), plus input from a fans advisory board on what they felt were the best locations in the arena.
NHL
The Flyers also looked to see what tickets in the arena were and werent moving on re-sale and what prices people were willing to pay for specific tickets in certain parts of the arena.
The average season ticket will increase 6 per ticket or 260 overall in the full season package. The top seats currently at center ice cost a season ticket holder 79 (discounted). That price will increase to 95.
Tilger said the price increase was spurred, in part, by the dramatic rise in the salary cap from 39 million in 2005-06 to nearly 60 million this season.
Tilger pointed out that ticket prices here have risen 5 percent in eight years, while the salary cap has increased 52 percent.
The ticket increase amounts to an average 8-10 percent. However, the lower bowl is now restructured into six different price ranges. For instance, those seats behind the south net where the Flyers shoot twice a game will cost more than the seats at the north end where the team shoots once.
The seats directly in the middle of the ice will cost more than those near the corners.
The upper mezzanine will also change. There will be 15 different prices for all 15 rows. The farther back you are, the less you pay.
Current season ticket holders will be offered a chance to move to cheaper seats if they prefer.
Were encouraging our season ticket holders to call our customer service department because theyre going to have questions about this and well be happy to clarify it, Tilger said. Any issue they raise with us well address with them.
The Flyers last raised ticket prices three years ago. The new invoices went out in the mail last Friday.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net
Related: Panaccio's Flyers Week in Review: March 22-28Buy Flyers gear