2018 All Things Lions Marketing & Promotions

[Belize City Lion]

What would you think about a full season membership at a locked-in lifetime rate? In other words, if prices go up, your ticket price is guaranteed to no go up with it (and frankly, I can't see an owner raising prices more than they are set at right now)

This would be akin to the way gym memberships are sold. It might induce more fence-sitters to become season ticket holders.


DH

Brilliant idea! While it may not attract a lot of new STH right away, it would be a great incentive for people to renew. Especially after a bad season. If you are locked in at a ST rate of say $300 per season for life, you would be less likely to give up your season tickets after several years if you knew it would cost you $500 to get back in down the road.

I once lived in an apartment for 10 years, even though I hated the place after 5 years. But I knew I was getting a good deal on rent because I had been there for so long and got in when rents were low. Finding anything else would have meant at least a 40% rent increase.

[DanoT]

With the Canucks season sked out, the Lions have only one conflict this fall, and it's the 4pm start Sat Oct 27 vs SSK. Canucks play at home at 7pm vs PIT that night.
https://www.nhl.com/canucks/schedule/2018-10-01/PT

I’ll take that. Lions’ fans get the parking spots.

The schedule that I looked at says that the Rider fans get the parking spots.

[David]

Actually, I don't view that as a scheduling conflict. Rather, a scheduling enhancement. 3 hours in between the two events, means that sports fans and out-of-towners can do a doubleheader. Watch the Leos, then head across the street. Plus, we get first dibs on parking and it's the Riders, so it's always an "event" game when they come to town. It's all good.


DH

[DanoT]

Actually, I don't view that as a scheduling conflict. Rather, a scheduling enhancement. 3 hours in between the two events, means that sports fans and out-of-towners can do a doubleheader. Watch the Leos, then head across the street. Plus, we get first dibs on parking and it's the Riders, so it's always an "event" game when they come to town. It's all good.


DH

OK, I will try to make this a little clearer and more straight forward: Sat. Oct 27 is B.C at Sask., in Regina, its an away game.

[BC 1988]

Actually, I don't view that as a scheduling conflict. Rather, a scheduling enhancement. 3 hours in between the two events, means that sports fans and out-of-towners can do a doubleheader. Watch the Leos, then head across the street. Plus, we get first dibs on parking and it's the Riders, so it's always an "event" game when they come to town. It's all good.


DH

OK, I will try to make this a little clearer and more straight forward: Sat. Oct 27 is B.C at Sask., in Regina, its an away game.

Apologies for calling Oct 27th a conflict--comes from quickly glancing at the CFL sked. So it turns out the LIons are "conflict-free" this fall. (Not even potential playoff dates). I remember in seasons past there was sometimes more than one date that clashed with Canucks.

[Qman]

What would you think about a full season membership at a locked-in lifetime rate? In other words, if prices go up, your ticket price is guaranteed to no go up with it (and frankly, I can't see an owner raising prices more than they are set at right now)

This would be akin to the way gym memberships are sold. It might induce more fence-sitters to become season ticket holders.


DH

Brilliant idea! While it may not attract a lot of new STH right away, it would be a great incentive for people to renew. Especially after a bad season. If you are locked in at a ST rate of say $300 per season for life, you would be less likely to give up your season tickets after several years if you knew it would cost you $500 to get back in down the road.

I once lived in an apartment for 10 years, even though I hated the place after 5 years. But I knew I was getting a good deal on rent because I had been there for so long and got in when rents were low. Finding anything else would have meant at least a 40% rent increase.

this how MLSE has built up the toronto FC season ticket base, no one gives up their season tickets. You got people still paying $13 a game (sitting next to someone paying $45)

I think the Lions season ticket discount should be based on number of consecutive years as a holder, and if you leave you lose it. No way people give up season tickets if they've built up to say 40% discount.

[David]

27,863.

That's how many fans attended the Whitecaps-Sounders MLS game at BC Place last night. Funny, I don't hear anyone complain about traffic, seating, ticket pricing, parking, concession prices, live vs TV.

Yes, I realize a contingent of Seattle fans travelled up for the game and it was a crucial divisional matchup, but even with a playoff position on the line, I can't see us getting close to that many fans against the Riders, whose fans travel in even bigger numbers. Plus the Whitecaps are a very mediocre team this year. And they don't even have a $10 kids ticket either.

We're getting our lunch handed to us. I know our cheaper end zone seats aren't going to attract the masses overnight, but the Whitecaps just seem to generate a bigger buzz in this market. Last night's gate is a very sobering reality for a long time Leos fan like me.


DH

[KnowItAll]

another 50 yrs and cfl will be world football

[DanoT]

I wonder if Braley still thinks his Lions are worth $20M or whatever unrealistic amount he was asking in the past. The only thing that he really has to sell is the potential to grow the numbers and no one is going to pay big dollars for something that may or may not happen.

[SammyGreene]

Took out BCAA membership a couple of weeks ago and one of the retailer perks was 30 percent off Whitecaps tickets. These weren't end zone seats but one of their higher priced categories.

The Lions have done well with their end zone seats such as the $20 beach party zone along with discounted tickets available at Save on Foods and the $10 kids seats too.

But nothing has been done to try and move those massive chunks of empty seats between the 20-40 yard lines, especially on the visitors side. Wonder if they are ever going to realize few are going to pay $94 to sit on the 25 yard-line regardless of how good the team is.
It's screaming for some kind of price break especially when the other option is staying at home and getting to see it anyways. And BC isn't the only team in the league with this problem. Ours is just far more glaring.

They did the season opener package deal for the Montreal game but nothing since.

[zeppo]

27,863.

That's how many fans attended the Whitecaps-Sounders MLS game at BC Place last night.

DH

The attendance for the games against Seattle every season is highly inflated compared to The Bells' average attendance for the rest
of their home games. For example, in the fifteen home games played prior to September 15th., The Bells drew an average crowd of
20,944, which I suspect is comparable to the Lions' average home attendance so far this season.
A member of my family has Bells' season tickets, so I had the opportunity to see a game live last year. The game itself didn't interest me
much, so I spent a lot of time looking around the stadium. The first thing I noticed was that the top half of one of the end zones, and two of
the corner zones, were tarped off. My companion told me that the tarps were only removed for play off games, or when Seattle comes to town.
As a result, The Bells only have 22,100 seats for sale for most of their home games.
The second thing I noticed was the large number of empty seats along the sidelines, especially below the tarps, and was told that a lot of
those belonged to season ticket holders who hadn't shown up.
Bottom line...The Bells inflate their announced attendance (as do the Lions) by counting the number of tickets sold, rather than the number
of people in the building. They also declare 22,100 to be a "sell out", even though, technically, there are lots of seats in the lower bowl that
they choose not to have available for sale.

[Figaro]

Interesting numbers Zeppo. Did the Bells beat the Xboxes?

[Hambone]

27,863.

That's how many fans attended the Whitecaps-Sounders MLS game at BC Place last night.

DH

The attendance for the games against Seattle every season is highly inflated compared to The Bells' average attendance for the rest
of their home games. For example, in the fifteen home games played prior to September 15th., The Bells drew an average crowd of
20,944, which I suspect is comparable to the Lions' average home attendance so far this season.
A member of my family has Bells' season tickets, so I had the opportunity to see a game live last year. The game itself didn't interest me
much, so I spent a lot of time looking around the stadium. The first thing I noticed was that the top half of one of the end zones, and two of
the corner zones, were tarped off. My companion told me that the tarps were only removed for play off games, or when Seattle comes to town.
As a result, The Bells only have 22,100 seats for sale for most of their home games.
The second thing I noticed was the large number of empty seats along the sidelines, especially below the tarps, and was told that a lot of
those belonged to season ticket holders who hadn't shown up.
Bottom line...The Bells inflate their announced attendance (as do the Lions) by counting the number of tickets sold, rather than the number
of people in the building. They also declare 22,100 to be a "sell out", even though, technically, there are lots of seats in the lower bowl that
they choose not to have available for sale.

I noticed Caps had crowds in the 17K range early in the season then a steady string of 22120. Obviously they still prop up demand be taking 5000+ seats out of supply. As you mentioned even though they were announcing sellouts of their reduced capacity there were always a lot of empty seats. This is not unlike the Canucks who continued to announce sellouts to continue their streak despite the fact it was blatantly obvious there were literally a few thousand empty seats every game.

There's no doubt the Caps benefit hugely when Cascadia rivals come to town. That should be expected when Greater Seattle's nearly 3M+ residents are so close. Last year I was in Doolins in the afternoon when Portland happened to to playing the Caps that night. The place was full of Timbers supporters singing away. It certainly doesn't hurt with the exchange rate and the fact young US fans in the 19 and 20 age demographic are legal for alcohol in BC. I've noticed that when I've been in Vancouver at New Years. Hotels were full of American kids who were up to celebrate because they were legal here but not back home.

[TheLionKing]

Interesting numbers Zeppo. Did the Bells beat the Xboxes?

The XBoxes beat the Bells 2-1

[Toppy Vann]

What would you think about a full season membership at a locked-in lifetime rate? In other words, if prices go up, your ticket price is guaranteed to no go up with it (and frankly, I can't see an owner raising prices more than they are set at right now)

This would be akin to the way gym memberships are sold. It might induce more fence-sitters to become season ticket holders.


DH

Brilliant idea! While it may not attract a lot of new STH right away, it would be a great incentive for people to renew. Especially after a bad season. If you are locked in at a ST rate of say $300 per season for life, you would be less likely to give up your season tickets after several years if you knew it would cost you $500 to get back in down the road.

I once lived in an apartment for 10 years, even though I hated the place after 5 years. But I knew I was getting a good deal on rent because I had been there for so long and got in when rents were low. Finding anything else would have meant at least a 40% rent increase.

this how MLSE has built up the toronto FC season ticket base, no one gives up their season tickets. You got people still paying $13 a game (sitting next to someone paying $45)

I think the Lions season ticket discount should be based on number of consecutive years as a holder, and if you leave you lose it. No way people give up season tickets if they've built up to say 40% discount.

These out of the box ideas have to be considered even though the life time price might be thought of as putting the private owned teams in a bad way for the future - but when you're not selling out you have to do something.

Randy Ambrosie - Commissioner's CFL 2.0 is another avenue he's exploring.

https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/3-downs-am ... -0~1486803

Having lived in Hong Kong for 8 years watching visiting Eng Premier League teams (and Beckham's LA Galaxy) swing through Asia every summer it was pretty clear what they were all about - selling jerseys etc and getting major Asian sponsors (that you see on the boards in each of the Premier League stadiums).

I was invited to a free night of all night food and beverages (booze too) to meet the Man City President and their Chief Commercial Marketing Officer - the latter an American Tom Glick who had NBA experience and is as of this year Carolina Panthers President.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2446 ... -president

This night was co-sponsored with the Manchester Business School as they hold MBA classes in Hong Kong (likely all paid by Man City).

All those Eng Prem teams have players from around the world - and some always make sure they have Chinese, Korean, or Japanese player who can play at that level and that's how you can market locally.

Ethnic heroes mean ethnic kids and families come to games.