This week the Kings’ announced an increase in prices for most season ticket holders. The change came with considerable talk about statistics, graphs and comparisons to other NHL teams. The icing on the sundae is the pronouncement from Luc Robitaille that the team is losing more money since the lock-out than before. Ouch.
There will be meet and greets on May 20, 2008 and May 31, 2008 as well as a draft party at the Nokia Theatre for season ticket holders. (I will be the one there with a notepad in case anything note worthy takes place.) An alternate jersey will make an appearance next season and season ticket holders will get one for free.
It goes without question that this news is not an easy sell. Here are some articles, blogs and/or threads where it is being discussed:
A Lot of Nerve Redux Daily News Blog on Price Increase LA Times on Price Increase Letsgokings.com Chimes In with Fan Reaction
My Take:
There is no good way to raise prices – especially on essentially a last place team. The understatement of the universe is this organization’s timing plain sucks. That just is. The Kings are apparently losing money and the Kings believe that it is better to adjust the price slowly than a mammoth increase at once (when arguably the team is successful and value is far more apparent).
The apologizing and rationalizing and economics lecture given to the media is a bit much. If the Kings have a plan and this incremental increase is needed then there is no way to package that and make it anymore appetizing than the bad tasting medicine our parents gave us growing up.
Sports is a scoreboard world and losing means failing to the players and their fans. Right now the Kings’ organization is an unsuccessful one as it currently stands. Gas prices exponential rise in essentially a few months span hurts most because driving is generally a mandatory activity. Sporting events and hockey games are not. That too just is.
I appreciate and endorse the plan and development this organization is undergoing. The price tag is not an easy sell in a results’ world. Most of me thinks this increase is a public relations nightmare. The only way long time fans will buy it (to the extent season ticket holders renew), is if Kopitar, Johnson, O’Sullivan and Bernier (if he delivers as projected) and Frolov (I think he is a key cog) stay in this organization. If they leave over money then the Kings’ credibility will plummet.
Mean what you say and do what you say or the fans will respond as fans do, by spending their entertainment dollars elsewhere. That is ultimately the true and real bottom line.
Carla Muller Carla.hockeygal@att.net