Season tickets renewals

[notahomer]

I haven't gotten mine yet but a friend in my section has. He claims it's gone up $200!!! I think his math is off. He claims his renewal notice has a discount price of $541 for our section (18). I'll have to go dig through the file cabinet but IIRC, this years seats were north of $400 without a Grey Cup seat.

When people get their renewals, let me know if you think they are high. I'm going to spend at least one more season buying tickets. I do have to admit that if they keep going up and HD is not going to be blacked out, I may have to reconsider my options. I may choose to just go to one or two big games and watch the rest at home, if I can.

[TheLionKing]

Lions must really need the money to be sending out renewal notices so soon.

[Whisperin' Jimmy]

I haven't gotten mine yet but a friend in my section has. He claims it's gone up $200!!! I think his math is off. He claims his renewal notice has a discount price of $541 for our section (18). I'll have to go dig through the file cabinet but IIRC, this years seats were north of $400 without a Grey Cup seat.

If I recall correctly, at the start of this season the Lions sent out a notice to season ticket-holders that prices were going up. However, they were going to to 'soften the blow' by phasing in the increase for exisiting STHs over three years. I think if you go back through your letters/e-mails from the Lions, you should find this notice projecting your costs for 2012 and even 2013.

At the time, I felt a little under-appreciated, after sticking it out at Empire. In effect the Lions were telling me my ticket prices were going up in each of the next two years, and I should be happy because the price was going up even higher for everyone else! Rather underwhelming as a marketing ploy.

I'm also in section 18, and the season ticket price is creeping close to the point where I'm going to have to think seriously before renewing.

[The_Pauser]

I'm definitely going to think long and hard as to whether or not I want to renew my season tickets. And let this be a shoutout to any of the Lions brass who may read this.

If the product is garbage like it has been for the better parts of 2008, 2009, 2010 and the first half of this year, I will not be coming back long-term. If our head coach is Chapdelaine or Benevides, I will not be renewing. If our team continues to make stupid decisions, I will not be renewing. I was a STH in 1995, but didn't renew after that because I didn't like the direction the team was going in. I then started attending more and more games on single game tickets starting in 2003/2004, and became a STH again in 2006 until now. I'm getting really really sick of the crap product we have been spoonfed though. With the exception of the past few games of course.

[Rammer]

I haven't gotten mine yet but a friend in my section has. He claims it's gone up $200!!! I think his math is off. He claims his renewal notice has a discount price of $541 for our section (18). I'll have to go dig through the file cabinet but IIRC, this years seats were north of $400 without a Grey Cup seat.

When people get their renewals, let me know if you think they are high. I'm going to spend at least one more season buying tickets. I do have to admit that if they keep going up and HD is not going to be blacked out, I may have to reconsider my options. I may choose to just go to one or two big games and watch the rest at home, if I can.

It won't surprise me if people do pick and choose their games to attend, or use the 3 pack to save some coin. When Wally was first on the scene, a ST in Section 17 was $150 back in 2003. The price point is moving beyond the entertainment value for at least half the games IMO, it also means that tolerating a lack luster effort on any night won't go down as well as it has in the past. The teeter tooter effect is now in effect on the price point, be very careful on the marketing BC Lions.

[Rammer]

Hey all,

I've never purchased season tickets; I've bought flex packs and singles and been quite pleased with those options.

Season tickets offer one primary benefit: decreased cost. But it's only a benefit if you're a passionate fan that wants to see every single game regardless of the competition. I went to every single game for about two years and frankly, that was a little too much for football for me. Realistically, I'm going to decide not to attend at least two games a year, because something else comes up, because it's a long weekend, or because they're playing the Argos. Under such a scenario, season tickets actually represent an increased cost to me as opposed to a discount. If the gap between the cost of season tickets and the cost of single seats is narrowing, why would anyone lock themselves in for the season?

Season seats have a primary disadvantage in that you're locked in. When I bought flex packs for some games a buddy and I would use up 5-6 tickets, bringing family or other friends if the upcoming game looked especially good. You can't really do that with season tickets. That's a disadvantage from the Lions' perspective as well, because their most passionate fans can't bring a group/organize a group and sit with them without first off-loading the seats they already have. The best ambassadors the team has are its fans, and the most passionate fans are season ticket holders...and yet those fans that are most likely to bring others to the game have to jump through the most hoops to do so. I think that is a fundamental problem with the way season ticket packages are structured.

Would somebody who has been a season ticket holder for years and who has filed away what they cost mind digging up that info and posting it? I'd be interested to see how the pricing structure has changed over the last ten years.

Anyway...

Cheers,

James

Great points James, and I can say that your analysis of the hoops that the ST has to jump through to entertain potential future ticket buyers is much more difficult than it should be. If the Lions could address this problem better, although they do have a much better service in place than just a few years ago. Then if they would offer up ST holders the same cost for those tickets, it may provide the incentive for ST holders to take friends to the game vs purchasing at the wicket.

[TheLionKing]

I'm definitely going to think long and hard as to whether or not I want to renew my season tickets. And let this be a shoutout to any of the Lions brass who may read this.

If the product is garbage like it has been for the better parts of 2008, 2009, 2010 and the first half of this year, I will not be coming back long-term. If our head coach is Chapdelaine or Benevides, I will not be renewing. If our team continues to make stupid decisions, I will not be renewing. I was a STH in 1995, but didn't renew after that because I didn't like the direction the team was going in. I then started attending more and more games on single game tickets starting in 2003/2004, and became a STH again in 2006 until now. I'm getting really really sick of the crap product we have been spoonfed though. With the exception of the past few games of course.

Well said

[notahomer]

I'm definitely going to think long and hard as to whether or not I want to renew my season tickets. And let this be a shoutout to any of the Lions brass who may read this.

If the product is garbage like it has been for the better parts of 2008, 2009, 2010 and the first half of this year, I will not be coming back long-term. If our head coach is Chapdelaine or Benevides, I will not be renewing. If our team continues to make stupid decisions, I will not be renewing. I was a STH in 1995, but didn't renew after that because I didn't like the direction the team was going in. I then started attending more and more games on single game tickets starting in 2003/2004, and became a STH again in 2006 until now. I'm getting really really sick of the crap product we have been spoonfed though. With the exception of the past few games of course.

Well said

Agreed. That is a really good idea, IMO. Wait until I see who the coach is. I think though I'm going to bite the bullet and go for one more season in the shiny new palace. And since I know another large increase is coming again next fall, I can let the Lions play/coaching help me to decide.

[notahomer]

I've got complaints with the Whitecaps and Lions.

One friend of mine bought both, Whitecaps and Lions tickets. They took his money months ago. The Whitecaps (small time organization if you ask me) sent my friend his BC Place tickets by courier on Friday night Sept 30th. So, you'd find it surprising he's at the Dome watching the Lions? Come on Man! Months to send him tickets and you wait until two days before the place opens up and during the Lions opener.

The Lions were just a touch more special when Bob Ackles was running things IMO. Under-promise and over deliver was how things seemed to be then. For example, I'd get this normal sized calendar with good photos of the coaches/players. Lots of the players birthdays were on the calendar. This calendar started shrinking each season until this season, no calendar. Another example? I get home one day and theres a card waiting for me to pick up a package. A package? I haven't ordered anything? So I go pick up my package. Its a 'season ticket holder edition' of the Waterboy by Bob Ackles. If I'd known he was writing a book, I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT! But the Lions didn't give me a chance. They sent me a free copy for being a season ticket holder!!! THATS OVER-DELIVERING and it seems to be something the Lions are getting away from.

[B.C.FAN]

I can understand people feeling financially squeezed as the cost of tickets rises for all sports and entertainment. (CFL tickets are still cheap in comparison to most options.) Finances and outside commitments aside, though, I can't understand football fans who choose not to attend a game if the opponent isn't strong or the team isn't battling for first place.

Football is my passion. I enjoy football whether my team is winning or losing. I'll analyze and criticize where appropriate but I'll still be there. Hockey, basketball and baseball season ticketholders get to attend dozens of games a year, spread over a six-month season, not including playoffs. Football fans aren't so lucky. I can't wait to get through the seemingly eternal seven-month offseason so I can attend the Lions' 10 home games each year. That still leaves 355 nights a year to do something else, including watch football on TV or talk football online. I enjoy training camp, preseason, regular season and, of course, the postseaason. I'm thankful for the privilege.

[B.C.FAN]

I got my renewal notice today. The 2012 price, including tax, works out to $34.70 per ticket (bronze). I don't know how much of that is made up of taxes and facility fees. That's a 15% increase from this year but, considering the improved facilities, well worth it IMO.

I'm not signing up for the Oct. 31 early bird deadline, though. With two regular season games, a possible playoff game and the Grey Cup yet to be played here, it's too early to to asking for financial commitments for 2012.

[Hambone]

I can understand people feeling financially squeezed as the cost of tickets rises for all sports and entertainment. (CFL tickets are still cheap in comparison to most options.) Finances and outside commitments aside, though, I can't understand football fans who choose not to attend a game if the opponent isn't strong or the team isn't battling for first place.

A bit ironic in some ways. So often I keep hearing about how entertaining the CFL product is and belly-aching about how the Lions play second fiddle to the Canucks and NHL. Interestingly many of the same people who vouch for the entertainment value of CFL football being every bit as good as NHL or NFL action are usually the same ones complaining about Lion tickets being overpriced even though they are a fraction of the cost of a Canuck ticket. With the long string of Canuck sellouts clearly the market has determined their pricing structure is acceptable.

My ticket in Row 0 of 242 has gone up around $90 or 13%. Taxes and fees included it comes out to $78/game. A similar seat for a Canuck game (near centre ice, lower rows of the lower bowl) would run close to $200.00. All 10 games in 2012 will be at BC Place instead of the 60/40 split between Empire and BC Place this season. Personally I'll take that as getting more value for my dollar. In other ways it's also cheaper as there is no cost getting from my hotel of choice to BC Place versus $30 return cab ride to Empire. When I look strictly at the invoice next year will be more expensive. When I consider the big picture it's cheaper.

[Whisperin' Jimmy]

I can understand people feeling financially squeezed as the cost of tickets rises for all sports and entertainment. (CFL tickets are still cheap in comparison to most options.) Finances and outside commitments aside, though, I can't understand football fans who choose not to attend a game if the opponent isn't strong or the team isn't battling for first place.

I agree. Although I did say I'm debating my renewal, that is solely a question of the ol' household budget. I would feel the same whether this season is a winning or losing one.

I buy a ticket because I like the gameday experience. Sure, it's way more fun to win. But win or lose, the enjoyment of any game justifies a reasonable ticket price for me. And a big part of the value is the emotional investment, being part of the team community even in tough times. I greatly admire, for instance, the 'Box J' boys who supported Hamilton through the lean years, still having a good time just being part of the game and the league.

I appreciate there is another school of thought - to wit, that withholding a renewal is sending a message to the club, to smarten up the management and coaching. I understand that viewpoint, but I do not share it. I don't think it works. If it did, why aren't the Argos better by now? I really don't think Braley or Skulsky or Wally will "try harder" if the season ticket base drops. Just as I don't think the Riders are waiting to see how many tickets they sell before deciding if that mess needs fixing!

I will however say "hear, hear" to notahomer's comment on the swag. I also really miss the little extras - the Ackles book, the calendar, even a signed and framed photo after the 2005 season, all unadvertised and unannounced. That made me feel a part of the club, and appreciated. Those gestures go a long way in building loyalty.