Whether you want to believe these numbers or not, the Capitals are ranked 21st in ticket prices which we believe offers a fair deal - a fair exchange of value – compared to many other teams in the NHL. The average ticket price in the NHL according to this report is at $51 and we are positioned at about $44, below the league average.
Ted's Take
$33/fixture for a centre-ice view from the 400′s…in a seat that would retail at as much as $90/fixture at day-of-match prices…currently in my eighth season as a full STH, and I really can’t complain.
A question that may be none of my business:
If you are selling tickets at an average of $44, doesn’t this mean that a whole season of sellouts will only gross about $32 million? Isn’t that only about 60% of the player payroll alone (not even including all of the other staff and costs)? Sure, there must be other revenue sources like TV rights and merchandising, and a playoff run could add some coin –but with hockey’s TV ratings, how much could that be?
I’m aware that it is well-known that you lose money on this team, but it is hard to see how you could ever expect get anywhere close to breaking even with that payroll. If it is not too private an issue, I would love for you to give us a simplified breakdown of Caps/NHL revenue.
The gate prices are insane though. $50 for the cheap seats on a weeknight against the Panthers? There is a fantastic discount for season ticket holders but for the fan that can only make a few games a year, they really are at the max price limit.
Also, interesting to note that Caps were one of the few (11) teams to increase the price (by 7.4%) this year. Do you think that has anything to do with team doing so well? ;o)
GO CAPS!!
Ted,
We have seasons tickets for both the Caps and the Nationals and believe me we get much better value for our dollar and far more customer service amenities from you. We get a whopping $5 discount on each ticket from the Nats for all of you who complain about the cost of Caps tickets! Your pricing structure is more than fair especially given the fact that we get the pleasure of seeing the best hockey player in the world every night.