We survey fans extensively, and we started to notice the scores were increasing and things we were doing were starting to resonate with our fans. “We’re a data-driven organization, not just on the baseball field but on the business side as well. The region has changed, and we’ve done a lot over the last couple of years to try to put our brand in more places and talk about who we are as an organization and what we have to offer from a fan experience. “The $10 tickets are a way to A.) do that and B.) reach a new audience, too. So, the more we can do to curate that type of environment, we want to do,” Walsh said. “Everyone wants to be in a place that feels fun. So, the Rays are trying to strike a balance between creating a ballpark buzz and growing their fan base without devaluing the premium ticket sales that drive a good portion of their revenues. They’ve also had to contend with scalpers buying up the cheaper seats and reselling at higher prices, although that’s been solved by eliminating electronic transfers of $10 seats. ![]() That’s occasionally been a difficult line to walk in the past because - with the upper deck usually closed to save money on expenses and create a more intimate atmosphere in the lower bowl - the Rays have been mindful not to irritate fans paying higher prices for seats in nearby sections. “It’s been more, ‘What can we learn here? How can Tropicana Field be our laboratory over the next five-plus years?’Īnd while they’ve had promotions for cheaper tickets in the past, the Rays have made it easier for fans to get their hands on $10 seats for weekday or non-marquee games. “It would have been easy to say, ‘Let’s not invest in this building because we’re hoping to build a new one some day.’ But that’s not the approach we’ve taken,” said Rays chief business officer Bill Walsh. It’s almost as if the old place swallowed a generation’s worth of barbs and emerged in a new era of nerdy chic. Only Philadelphia and Cleveland have seen bigger increases, percentage-wise, at the baseball box office. ![]() New promotions, increased marketing, unique dining options, inventive ticket plans and sharper in-game programming.Īttendance is up more than 25 percent, year over year, through the first 18 home games and that doesn’t include the sold-out weekend series against the Yankees. ![]() Tropicana Field still has the same inherent design flaws that has made it so inviting as a national punchline, and the Rays remain eager to build a cutting-edge, next-generation ballpark.īut there has been an unmistakable vibe inside the Trop this season that cannot be explained entirely by the team’s record-breaking start in the standings. The Rays are still near the bottom of MLB attendance figures, although not as low as usual. Is it possible, after more than 25 years of insults and empty seats, the Trop is now hip?
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