Dynamic pricing is a joke. If you want the stadium full and are still going to have every game on TV then dynamic pricing just gives fans a reason to stay home. The Reds do a great job with promotions and making the ballpark experience entertaining but dynamic pricing is just another way to milk more money from fans. Until I see $5 seats for a Tuesday April game against the Marlins then I believe the dynamic only works one way.

 

Cardinals do dynamic pricing and I don't care for it because I attend weekend games unless during the summer when off from work. I will say they have some very low prices for some games during the week. Even the all inclusive tickets will be reduced.

San Francisco's metro population is a little over 7 million people. Cincinnati's is slightly over 2.

 

So by this theory then Miami who has 5 million people should not be 29th out of 30 teams then in attendance???

 

I get what you are saying, but my point is this. This is CINCINNATI! This is where it all started. If you didnt notice this weekend, there is maybe a tiny bit of pride and history in the Cincinnati Reds and this city. So why is it that we rank 15th out of 30 teams in attendance, with teams like the Angels, Cubs, Blue Jays, Brewers, Rockies, Twins, Giants, and Phillies (All teams that are "out of it" and some in last place) ranked ahead of us?

 

It is not to bash the fans in Cincinnati, its just a fan who grew up around baseball in Cincinnati wondering why we dont support this team more. We are always the first to bash them when they lose, and when Dusty makes a stupid decision, so why dont we support them when they are going right?

So by this theory then Miami who has 5 million people should not be 29th out of 30 teams then in attendance???

 

I get what you are saying, but my point is this. This is CINCINNATI! This is where it all started. If you didnt notice this weekend, there is maybe a tiny bit of pride and history in the Cincinnati Reds and this city. So why is it that we rank 15th out of 30 teams in attendance, with teams like the Angels, Cubs, Blue Jays, Brewers, Rockies, Twins, Giants, and Phillies (All teams that are "out of it" and some in last place) ranked ahead of us?

 

It is not to bash the fans in Cincinnati, its just a fan who grew up around baseball in Cincinnati wondering why we dont support this team more. We are always the first to bash them when they lose, and when Dusty makes a stupid decision, so why dont we support them when they are going right?

 

Yes, in theory, Miami should be higher. However, when the team has an owner that's done what he's done over the past year or so, I'm surprised they're not 30th out of 30.

 

My point is...in each market there are only so many dollars available (for, what you hope, people will use to purchase tickets). That's the financial pie...and you can't change it. Now, if you have a good team, you should (again, in theory) be able to pull more of those dollars in. In other words, get a bigger piece of the pie. But, markets like Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc. are already starting out with a bigger pie to begin with. Thus, they don't necessarily HAVE to have as big of a slice as the Reds do, in order to have decent attendance figures.

 

So, all I'm saying, is that in the particular instance you sited, San Fran started out with a "pie" that's over 3 times larger than what Cincinnati has. The Reds drew roughly 1% of their market to that game that night...the Giants was half of that. So, you couple that with what others have said as far as school starting and the dynamic pricing...and I'm not a bit surprised what the attendance was.

Who is claiming dynamic pricing was an obstacle to attendance during the Cards series? The only comments above were that dynamic prices for SAT were high -- game was sold out, so DP obviously worked; also, I agree that DP showing 400 and 500 level tix at prices higher than lower level on promotion doesn't make much sense. That said, given that you could get lower level tix for $20 based on the promotion and crowds were STILL very low is just further evidence that cost was not the major reason for lack of attendance.

San Francisco's metro population is a little over 7 million people. Cincinnati's is slightly over 2.

 

There are also 2 teams that split the fans in the San Francisco metro area so that negates a lot of the population advantage.

There are also 2 teams that split the fans in the San Francisco metro area so that negates a lot of the population advantage.

 

True. (Although, you're still looking at nearly a 2 to 1 ratio in favor of San Fran). However it would also be interesting to compare the $$$ available in each area. I'm thinking there's a few more dollars floating around out there, than there is here.

 

And as far as dynamic pricing goes...where I think that hurts is in the long range planning for families. A family of 4 probably is going to drop $100 for a night, even if tickets are just $15 each. They know this. And they look at the schedule and say, "Well, we can probably afford to go to 5 or 6 games this year." So, they look at the schedule and find out that when the Padres are in town, they can get tickets for $15...but, back in May, these tickets for the Cardinals games may be $22 or $25. The kids are just interested in going to see Joey Votto play, or maybe Brandon or Jay...it doesn't really matter who they're playing. So, mom and dad figure, why pay the extra bucks...and they go to see the Padres play. And by the time the Reds come up with some promotion that reduces the price of the Cards games...well, the family has already seen their 5 or 6 games already...and are out of the market for any more, regardless of the price.

 

The short term planners (impulse decisions) may not be affected by the DP as much. But, I'd say that's probably involving a lot more individuals/buddies than it is families. It may be more of "Hey, Latos is facing Wainright tonight...you wanna go to the game?"

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people complain about attendance when they didn't even go to the game.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people complain about attendance when they didn't even go to the game.

 

So in order to say something about attendance, you must attend all 81 home games? That seems feasible as i am sure teams that sell out day in and day out have the same 40k fans in the stands.