Tigers: Attendance down, viewership down. Why?

**emu steve** · July-03-14, 11:39 PM

Attendance: Down 2,264 per game. April was bad and part of it. Is the idiotic 'dynamic pricing' part of it? Maybe something endorsed by Larry Kudlow, Rick Santelli, etc. [[I saw them again Thursday a.m. on CNBC doing the employment numbers BLS released for June - won't even celebrate good employment news. Ugh.).

Dynamic pricing sounds like something which would play in NYC [[NOT Detroit). Folks in NYC like this s*it, where they worship markets, dynamic pricing on anything which can be priced, laws of supply and demand, and all of that good crap.

If NYC is Wall Street, financial firms, etc. Detroit is more blue collarish. Set and publish the price and don't dick around.

Detroit is one of the LAST cities where I'd do 'dynamic pricing.'

Time to fire up the Twitter world against 'dynamic pricing'...

I think folks don't mind things like 'premium' games, 'value' games, etc. which means a Yankee game will cost more than an Astros game or a Friday night game more than a Thursday game, etc.

Will more fans opt to buy tixs through Stub Hub, eBay, on the street, etc??

Will 'dynamic pricing' kill the walk up crowd? [[this pricing scheme really increases prices without the team saying 'we' raised prices. It was the 'computer'. It was 'market forces'.).

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...down-from-2013

**Lowell** · July-04-14, 12:24 AM

Maybe with dynamic pricing the attendance is down but revenue is up? Article doesn't say but holding a price point can have its advantages.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-04-14, 12:51 AM

1. Tickets are expensive.

2. Play is erratic.

3. Fewer cheap seats that replaced with the party deck or whatever they call the darned thing made to sell more $10 beers.

**emu steve** · July-04-14, 05:17 AM

Good points, guys.

Tickets are no longer a 'good value' and yes it does raise revenues to the team, via a 'back door' model of raising prices.

Season tix numbers are very solid so it appears the 'walk up' crowd isn't there like it used to be.

But I don't understand the 17% drop in viewers? No Prince, no Fister, no Leyland? Are those factors???? Or simply erratic play against mediocre opponents?

If someone doesn't want to pay 50 bucks for a tix simply sit home and watch? But they aren't...

Interestingly, I looked at the Monday night and Tuesday night box scores [[vs. A's) and attendance was down 10K Tuesday, the day the World Cup ended around 6:30. Think folks watched the cup and stayed home and watched [[?) the Tigers.

**emu steve** · July-04-14, 05:22 AM

Side note: I wonder if the World Cup took some wind out of MLB's sails?

I wouldn't want a MLB home game scheduled opposite a U.S.A. World Cup game. The World Cup game wins hands down.

**Hardhat** · July-04-14, 08:26 AM

That losing swoon they had in June made them difficult to watch. But if they keep up their current pace I don't see why attendance and tv viewers won't pick up in the remainder of the year.

**compn** · July-04-14, 09:08 AM

didnt fox sports try to move the games to some new channel?
fox sports one ?

my dad cut down on his cable tv channels and couldnt find the game anywhere.
mlb/fox did this to themselves. changed the channel to a higher digital tier and yeah viewership will go down.

**poobert** · July-04-14, 09:18 AM

Like most Americans, except for the one-percenters like Illitch, my wages sure haven't been "dynamic"...that doesn't help...

Games are too expensive unless you're at least upper middle class. Most folks can only afford a couple per season.

I still think Comerica Park sucks. What a dumb looking place with a dumb parking lot in front.

**emu steve** · July-04-14, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by compn

didnt fox sports try to move the games to some new channel?
fox sports one ?

my dad cut down on his cable tv channels and couldnt find the game anywhere.
mlb/fox did this to themselves. changed the channel to a higher digital tier and yeah viewership will go down.

This one is easy.

Fox added a new sports channel, Fox Sports One, kind of like an ESPN.

What happens on Saturdays is that Fox and Fox Sports One do multiple games.

So instead of Fox Sports Detroit some of those games will be moved to Fox or Fox Sports One.

For me, not living in MI, on Saturdays I lose the Tigers game if Fox or Fox Sports One has exclusive rights for a time frame and it isn't telecast in my area.

For those in the Detroit market, IF the game is on Fox Sports One and the viewer doesn't have Fox Sports One, then they lost access to that game.

**illwill** · July-04-14, 09:58 AM

For me it's definitely prices. I'm a die-hard Tiger fan and I used to go back in the days when they were horrible and they'd walk to Hockytown for drinks after each game. But once Jim Leyland got there and Gilbert made downtown cool again and prices and demand went up, it unfortunately priced me out. Now I sit in my living room without even a thought of attending games.

Still a fan but aside from cable, a shirt and hat, that's about all I can afford to buy when it comes to Tigers.

**Wesley Mouch** · July-04-14, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by illwill

For me it's definitely prices. I'm a die-hard Tiger fan and I used to go back in the days when they were horrible and they'd walk to Hockytown for drinks after each game. But once Jim Leyland got there and Gilbert made downtown cool again and prices and demand went up, it unfortunately priced me out. Now I sit in my living room without even a thought of attending games.

Still a fan but aside from cable, a shirt and hat, that's about all I can afford to buy when it comes to Tigers.

If you are in the market to maximize your profits in the short term, you can often minimize your profits in the long term. Baseball serves the almighty dollar, not the fan.

Dynamic pricing is a terrible idea -- unless your only goal is maximizing short-term revenue. It is disrespectful of the fans.

**Cliffy** · July-04-14, 10:23 AM

I think people are burned out. The bandwagon people can only go so far and it gets boring.

**Scottathew** · July-04-14, 10:28 AM

It might be because baseball is a very slow-paced, boring sport.

**Hypestyles** · July-04-14, 10:53 AM

ah well. Hopefully the team will do better post-all-star game...

**renf** · July-04-14, 11:02 AM

I will see fewer games at Comerica this year than last for three reasons:

*Games seem to be a good bit longer making it much later when you get home.
*High ticket prices for the prime games such as the game next week with the Dodgers
*I-96 is closed for the summer. Traveling to the western suburbs on I-94 add
considerable time for the week-day afternoon games.
Maybe the Tigers will benefit when the governor and other officials get commuter rail operating from Detroit to Ann Arbor and points west.

**emu steve** · July-04-14, 11:06 AM

Just the legal angle: [[yes, MLB has tried to get into this 'markets' bit and try to price at what the markets will bear as determined by StubHub):

1). The Tigers are a franchisee of MLB and sells tickets, television rights, etc.

2). The Tigers, as a MLB franchisee, is part owner of StubHub, which I believe is wholly owned by MLB.

3). Tigers have adopted 'dynamic pricing' to price future events.

4). StubHub acts as a broker for MLB teams and makes a 'market' for future events [[MLB games).

NOW, IF, MLB teams use StubHub data on prices to set their 'dynamic pricing' prices then it is close to collusion, I would think, even though the prices aren't electronically linked, i.e., Tiger tix prices don't change directly or automatically according to changes in the StubHub market for a particular game.

I think I can see a class-action lawsuit down the road.

Good case where the almighty computer and almighty dollar getting in bed together.

**mtburb** · July-04-14, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by renf

I will see fewer games at Comerica this year than last for three reasons:

*Games seem to be a good bit longer making it much later when you get home.
*High ticket prices for the prime games such as the game next week with the Dodgers
*I-96 is closed for the summer. Traveling to the western suburbs on I-94 add
considerable time for the week-day afternoon games.
Maybe the Tigers will benefit when the governor and other officials get commuter rail operating from Detroit to Ann Arbor and points west.

Or perhaps the Tigers will once again benefit whenever Livonia becomes a SMART opt-in community again-or whenever M-1 opens, whichever comes first.

**Chicago48** · July-04-14, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

1. Tickets are expensive.

2. Play is erratic.

3. Fewer cheap seats that replaced with the party deck or whatever they call the darned thing made to sell more $10 beers.

I want to add #4.
No "star" players, and too many "Dominicans and South Americans" whose names people can't pronounce and they can't speak English.

**illwill** · July-04-14, 11:32 AM

Also, lack of free parking for me is another reason. I use to have an abundance of street parking or empty lots to choose from. Now the city tickets and tows. Once again, I cannot afford to pay for parking.

We've been spoiled for so long in Detroit.

**emu steve** · July-04-14, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by illwill

Also, lack of free parking for me reason for me is another reason. I use to have an abundance of street parking or empty lots to choose from. Now the city tickets and tows. Once again, I cannot afford to pay for parking.

We've been spoiled for so long in Detroit.

M-1 rail might be your answer?

**coracle** · July-04-14, 12:05 PM

Maybe today's generation is wising up, and even after they are bing told how exciting Baseball is they have realized it's so boooooing - especially a no-hitter. Three plus us hours of blah.

**emu steve** · July-04-14, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by coracle

Maybe today's generation is wising up, and even after they are bing told how exciting Baseball is they have realized it's so boooooing - especially a no-hitter. Three plus us hours of blah.

There is a lot to what you say. Yes, watch a MLB crowd and a NFL crowd. The MLB crowd is texting, going for concessions, etc. [[everything BUT watching the game). The NFL crowd is thoroughly engaged.

MLB is lucky as it doesn't have to go up against the NFL [[until Sept and then it is pennant races).

IF the two sports' seasons completely overlapped the NFL would pretty much kill MLB.

MLB, other than the World Cup or summer Olympics has the summer to itself...

**renf** · July-04-14, 12:31 PM

I have been to six Tigers' games this season. Only once have I paid for parking. There is
usually free on-street parking on Park near Sibley. I have not gotten a ticket but if you
park very close to the corner, or block a driveway - even one that seems unused - you
might get a ticket.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · July-04-14, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by renf

I will see fewer games at Comerica this year than last for three reasons:

*Games seem to be a good bit longer making it much later when you get home.
*High ticket prices for the prime games such as the game next week with the Dodgers
*I-96 is closed for the summer. Traveling to the western suburbs on I-94 add
considerable time for the week-day afternoon games.
Maybe the Tigers will benefit when the governor and other officials get commuter rail operating from Detroit to Ann Arbor and points west.

Don't forget about finding a place to park that's safe and the price reasonable.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-04-14, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Chicago48

I want to add #4.
No "star" players, and too many "Dominicans and South Americans" whose names people can't pronounce and they can't speak English.

I question both of your reasons. Yes we have very respected players still, but they are not performing in sync.

Secondly, I could care less about nationality. As far as I am concerned the more the merrier. Are there too many blacks in the NBA or too many whites in the NHL? Would you have called out Hank Greenberg for being a jew?

It is true that different cultures play different sports. It is what you are brought up with. It is also true that many blacks or Hispanics are not in the NHL because it is soo dammed expensive to play the sport and the reality is that lower income folks are cut out of the sport due to the high cost [[and we do have an issue where we have an over representation of poor among minorities in this country).

Baseball has a long tradition in central and South America. Why should we exclude the best from playing. Why not say Jackie Robinson playing in the majors was a mistake?