Bobcats Club Seats Prices Too High?

I don't think its the price of the Bobcats club seats is the cause for low attendance; Its the product (which still stinks) and who can & can't watch it . . . When will the Observer do an indepth article on availbilty of NBA games in the Bobcats home market compared to the other teams?


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NBA elite? Bobcats' prices ritzy

'Club seats' expensive; attendance suffers

STEVE HARRISON
[email protected]



Dallas Mavericks fans can pay $122 for a season ticket in the lower bowl of American Airlines Center, at midcourt, 12 rows up.

Fans in Denver will pay $100 per game for a similar seat to see Carmelo Anthony, and Atlanta fans can sit close for $80.

The same view of the Charlotte Bobcats? It's a $150 club seat.

Charlotte has a number of tickets that are affordable by NBA standards.

But the team's very best seats, facing the court in the lower bowl, are pricier than those of most NBA teams. Many of those teams -- such as Dallas, Philadelphia and Cleveland -- are in larger markets, and either have more tradition or far better records.

Still struggling with attendance, the Bobcats' executives say they may try to stimulate demand by lowering some season ticket prices after this season for the second time in as many years.

"We are going to look at pricing, and see if we are doing things correctly," said Greg Economou, the team's chief marketing officer.

The scrutiny over ticket prices comes as the Bobcats are trying to increase attendance and improve their finances.

The team is searching for a business to buy naming rights to its arena, and it recently folded its women's pro team, the Sting, to cut losses. The Bobcats have also changed front office staff, bringing in executives with ties to the NBA.

Charlotte and other small-market teams are lobbying the NBA for more revenue sharing, saying they can't compete with teams in bigger markets. Ticket prices drive much of the revenue for NBA teams, unlike the NFL, where television money is more important.

The Bobcats aimed high when they priced tickets after moving to their new arena two years ago. They designated some of their best seats as "club seats" in order to maximize the revenue the seats would generate.

A club seat in Charlotte gives ticket holders access to a restaurant and chairside service, among other amenities. Most NBA teams place their club seats in between the upper and lower bowls, about 25 rows from the floor. In Charlotte, most of the club seats face the court, start near the floor and extend 20 rows up.

The Bobcats' average attendance of 15,574 this season is 27th out of 30 NBA teams. The team, however, said it's doing better financially than a year ago because it's no longer giving away thousands of tickets. The official attendance has declined compared with last season.

What's unclear is whether the team's ticket prices are keeping fans away -- or whether the team's losing record is the cause.

Andrew Zimbalist, a professor at Smith College and a noted expert on sports business, said the Bobcats can't price their tickets based on other teams.

"They have to be prudent," Zimbalist said. "They have to charge what the market will bear."

Under one comparison, the Bobcats are very affordable. Team Marketing Research, a newsletter that tracks ticket prices, shows that Charlotte's average season ticket price is $29.10, third cheapest in the NBA. (The team's beers, sodas and hot dogs are slightly more expensive than the NBA average, though parking is cheaper.)

But that figure is misleading because it doesn't include premium seats, which include courtside seats and club seats. The team has about 2,400 club seats in the lower bowl facing the court.

Before this season, 40 percent of its 6,800 lower-bowl seats were unsold.

Most NBA teams charge about $110 or $120 to sit facing midcourt, about 12 rows up.

The NBA's least expensive lower-bowl seat, at mid-court, roughly 12 rows from the floor, is in Atlanta. The Hawks charge $80 a game for a season ticket, or $100 for a club seat with the same view on the other side of the arena.

The New York Knicks ($240) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($220) are the most expensive.

Tim Hinchey, the team's executive vice president of business operations, said the Bobcats' strategy of making its best seats also club seats is sound. Unlike football, where there is an advantage for fans to be 20 rows up so they can see the action, basketball fans want to be close.

"They don't want their club seats to be up high," Hinchey said.

But there also some fans who just want great seats -- without paying for extras.

"I don't care about the amenities, I just want to be close," said club season ticket holder Evan Miller of Charlotte during Monday's game against Milwaukee.

The Bobcats want to squeeze as much money from their lower-bowl seats as possible because they have so few of them. Unlike the Charlotte Coliseum, which had a large lower bowl, the new Bobcats arena was designed differently. The arena puts luxury boxes close to the court, a design that gobbles up space that would usually be used for seats.

The Bobcats have 11,000 upper-bowl seats that are far from the court; they have only 6,800 lower-bowl seats. They have about 1,200 seats in suites and boxes.

To be sure, there are parts of Charlotte Bobcats Arena with cheaper tickets than most NBA teams.

The Bobcats sold $5 season tickets in the corners of the upper bowl, while most NBA teams sell those seats for $10. Many other upper-bowl tickets compare favorably with NBA teams.

Hinchey said the Bobcats may lower season ticket prices near the top of the lower bowl. It may also may expand the number of $95 club seats (season ticket price) available. The $95 club seat was introduced before this season, and the team said it has been a success.

Despite poor attendance, the Bobcats insist the team is heading in the right direction.

Because it's no longer giving away tickets, the team says its average gross is up more than $100,000 per game. The team grosses about $800,000 a game.

Though it's one of the NBA's smallest markets, Charlotte does have one advantage over other teams: It has one of the best arena deals. Taxpayers built the $265 million facility, and the team is responsible only for running and maintaining it.

Kurt Badenhausen, who writes about sports business for Forbes magazine, said the Chicago Bulls have priced tickets wisely. During the championship years under Michael Jordan in the 1990s, the team kept ticket prices in line. And when the team was terrible in the post-Jordan era, the Bulls still played before big crowds at the United Center.

Today, a lower bowl seat at midcourt is $105. (The Bulls charge the same price for behind the basket, considerably more than what the Bobcats charge.)

"The Bulls kept prices low for a rainy day," Badenhausen said. "There were years were they were terrible, but they were always a good draw."

Highest and Lowest

Here is a look at the cheapest and most expensive NBA tickets for seats at midcourt, about 12 rows up. These are per game for a 41-game regular season. Some seats, such as in Charlotte and Houston, are designated club seats. Most are not.

30th: Atlanta $80 or $100 for a club seat
29th: Utah $89
28th: Minnesota $90
27th: Portland $96
26th: Orlando $99
25th: Denver $100
24th: Philadelphia $100
23rd: Chicago $105
22nd: Milwaukee $115
8th: Charlotte $150
8th: Los Angeles Clippers $150
7th: Houston $160
6th: Boston $170
5th: New Jersey $176
4th: San Antonio $190
3rd: Detroit $209
2nd: Los Angeles Lakers $220
1st: New York Knicks $240

 

The OWNER of the team is TERRIBLE. His success with BET was pure luck. He's shown he's an idiot when it comes to business.

If you have the dish...no Bobcats. If you don't have Time Warner (Rock Hill)...no Bobcats. He's seriously hurt his market.

This guy makes Shinn look like a genius.

 

I want Larry Bird

 

Don't forget that the guy who came with Larry Bird was such a horrible owner he's already been forced back out of the league.

 

I don't think he was a terrible owner- he just disagreed with his partners and they raised a huge stink and bought him out... For the record- I think Belkin was 100% correct. The Hawks traded Boris Diaw who is playing great in Phoenix(had a triple double the other night) and 2 first round picks for Joe Johnson and then gave him a 70 million dollar contract. That's just too much to give up IMHO....

 

Packer told the guys they were out of their minds before they sold the first ticket.

 

because packer is an all knowing genius

 

not even close. that might be the first thing he was ever right about.

 

I'm startin' to think even the $5 tickets are over priced, I was sitting at the game last night, 20th row, wishing I was watching VPKOZEL's Tarheels. I think I'm gonna take a break from the greatest basketball franchise of all time, YOUR Charlotte Bobcats, I don't want to wear myself out.

John-Blair got a stab at coaching last night, Bernie flew off the handle and got thrown out in the 2nd quarter, maybe he had somewhere to be? Morrison is the streakiest player I've ever seen, the 2 new aquisitions Derek Anderson and Jeff McGinnis aren't really doin' sh*t, somebody is always hurt, and I'm tired of losing. That is all.

Edit: and right when I start to waiver, they put together a couple winning streaks, I'm sorry I ever doubted them, and I'll be there for the bobbleheads, damnit.

 

You know, watching the game last night (Section 218), I noticed that on the break the Bobcats, never, ever, ever, ever, ever run !!!!!!!!! Why ? ? Many times I saw Felton grab the rebound but instead of hallin ass towards the basket, he took his time and waited for everybody to catch up to run a play. What's up with that ? ?