Team Marketing Report • April 2015
© 2015 Team Marketing Report, Chicago, IL
team marketing report
Avg. Pct. Avg. Premium Soft Hot Pct.
Team Ticket Change Ticket Beer
1
Drink
1
Dog Parking Cap FCI Change
Boston Red Sox $52.34 0.0% $180.37 $7.75
12
$5.00
16
$5.25 $35.00 $25.00 $350.86 3.0%
New York Yankees 51.55 0.0% 305.39 6.00
12
3.00
12
3.00 35.00 25.00 337.20 0.0%
Chicago Cubs 44.81 1.5% 113.48 7.50
16
3.75
15
5.50 25.00 20.00 296.23 0.2%
Philadelphia Phillies 37.42 0.0% 83.08 7.75
21
4.00
20
3.75 16.00 20.00 252.18 1.6%
San Francisco Giants 33.78 6.8% 95.07 7.00
14
4.75
16
5.50 21.00 15.00 241.13 5.1%
St. Louis Cardinals 34.20 1.1% 83.55 5.00
12
5.25
21
4.25 20.00 16.00 236.81 3.5%
Washington Nationals 36.02 2.2% 111.95 6.50
16
5.00
24
5.25 10.00 12.00 232.08 1.8%
Minnesota Twins 32.59 0.0% 74.18 7.50
20
5.00
20
4.50 6.00 20.00 229.36 6.5%
Miami Marlins 28.96 7.2% 167.14 6.00
12
4.50
24
6.00 15.00 19.99 224.83 1.7%
Houston Astros 31.82 13.7% 99.80 5.00
14
4.50
21
4.75 15.00 14.00 220.28 6.0%
New York Mets 25.30 0.0% 83.78 5.75
12
5.00
16
6.25 22.00 19.99 219.68 0.0%
Los Angeles Dodgers 28.61 10.9% 222.13 6.25
20
6.00
24
5.50 10.00 18.00 218.94 5.4%
Detroit Tigers 29.01 2.8% 73.72 5.00
12
4.25
16
4.50 20.00 16.00 213.03 1.5%
Kansas City Royals 29.76 20.3% 105.08 6.50
16
5.00
22
5.00 10.00 15.00 212.04 10.5%
Seattle Mariners 31.00 9.0% 206.00 6.00
12
4.50
16
4.50 20.00 10.00 212.00 5.1%
MLB LEMLB LE
MLB LEMLB LE
MLB LE
AGUE AGUE
AGUE AGUE
AGUE
AA
AA
A
VERVER
VERVER
VER
AGEAGE
AGEAGE
AGE
28.9428.94
28.9428.94
28.94
3.3%3.3%
3.3%3.3%
3.3%
96.9496.94
96.9496.94
96.94
5.95.9
5.95.9
5.9
77
77
7
11
11
1
55
55
5
4.044.04
4.044.04
4.04
11
11
1
88
88
8
4.34.3
4.34.3
4.3
88
88
8
11
11
1
5.895.89
5.895.89
5.89
11
11
1
77
77
7
..
..
.
11
11
1
22
22
2
22
22
2
11
11
1
11
11
1
.5.5
.5.5
.5
33
33
3
2.5%2.5%
2.5%2.5%
2.5%
Toronto Blue Jays
2
25.14 0.0% 58.18 6.79
14
4.75
24
4.98 22.64 16.29 208.28 -0.1%
Chicago White Sox 26.05 0.0% 88.15 6.50
16
4.75
24
4.00 20.00 17.99 208.18 3.0%
Colorado Rockies 23.65 0.0% 47.39 6.00
16
3.50
18
4.75 13.00 22.00 196.60 2.6%
Oakland Athletics 24.00 5.1% 52.00 5.00
12
4.50
16
5.25 20.00 15.00 195.00 2.4%
Texas Rangers 23.64 0.4% 62.77 5.00
16
4.50
20
5.00 12.00 17.99 190.54 -1.3%
Los Angeles Angels 27.54 0.5% 76.74 4.50
16
2.75
12
4.50 10.00 16.00 190.16 0.3%
Milwaukee Brewers 26.32 5.4% 46.16 6.00
16
2.50
12
3.50 11.00 15.00 182.28 3.1%
Pittsburgh Pirates 19.99 9.1% 61.84 5.50
16
3.25
16
3.25 15.00 22.00 175.95 3.9%
Atlanta Braves 19.14 3.3% 51.33 7.25
16
4.75
22
4.75 15.00 15.00 174.06 1.4%
Cincinnati Reds 22.03 0.0% 66.43 5.25
12
1.00
12
1.00 20.00 20.00 166.62 4.1%
Cleveland Indians 22.38 5.0% 59.50 4.00
12
3.00
12
3.00 12.00 16.50 166.52 2.6%
Baltimore Orioles 24.97 0.0% 44.93 6.75
16
1.50
12
1.50 8.00 15.00 163.39 0.0%
Tampa Bay Rays 21.90 4.2% 88.79 5.00
12
5.00
22
5.00 0.00 10.00 157.60 -1.5%
San Diego Padres 16.37 0.0% 41.18 5.00
14
4.00
22
4.00 8.00 18.99 153.45 0.0%
Arizona Diamondbacks 17.98 0.0% 52.14 4.00
14
1.50
24
2.75 10.00 9.99 126.89 0.0%
AA
AA
A
verage ticket prverage ticket pr
verage ticket prverage ticket pr
verage ticket pr
iceice
iceice
ice represents a weighted average of season ticket prices for general seating categories, determined by factoring the tickets in each price range as a percentage of
the total number of seats in each venue. Premium seating (tickets that come with at least one added amenity or is classified by team as premium) are not included in the survey to
calculate average ticket price. Luxury suites are also excluded from the survey. Season ticket pricing is used for any team that offers some or all tickets at lower prices for customers
who buy season seats. Teams have a say in what seats are considered general or premium.
TT
TT
T
he Fan Cost Index™he Fan Cost Index™
he Fan Cost Index™he Fan Cost Index™
he Fan Cost Index™ comprises the prices of four (4) adult average-price tickets, two (2) small draft beers, four (4) small soft drinks, four (4) regular-size hot dogs, parking for one (1)
car, and two (2) least expensive, adult-size adjustable caps. Costs were determined by telephone calls with representatives of the teams, venues and concessionaires. Identical questions
were asked in all interviews. Superscript numbers next to Beer and Soft Drink prices denote smallest available size in ounces. TMR took out programs from the formula starting with
this FCI, which resulted in retroactive changes to the 2014 FCIs.
1
Superscript numbers next to Beer and Soft Drink prices denote smallest available size in ounces.
2
Prices for the Blue Jays are converted to US dollars and comparison prices were converted using a recent exchange rate provided by the Blue Jays. Last season’s prices were
converted using the same exchange rate for a valid comparison.
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© 2015 Team Marketing Report, Chicago, IL
2015 mlb fan cost index
AVERAGE TICKET PRICE UP 3.3 PERCENT AT $28.94; TOTAL FCI UP 2.5 PERCENT TO $211.53
The average Major League Baseball ticket increased by 3.3 per-
cent to $28.94 for the 2015 season, according to the Team Mar-
keting Report Fan Cost Index.
That’s the biggest percentage increase since the average ticket
price rose five percent to $26.64 in 2009.
The Fan Cost Index (FCI) total, the average price to take a
family of four to a game, increased by 2.5 percent to $211.53.
The FCI is created by combining four non-premium season
tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking and
two adult-size hats.
Starting with this FCI, TMR has taken out the game program/
scorecard as part of the formula, and retroactively adjusted 2014
FCI totals for a proper comparison between seasons.
TMR uses season ticket pricing, separating premium tickets
into a standalone category, and the cheapest options for beers,
soft drinks, hot dogs, parking and hats.
The average premium ticket is $96.94. The definition of “pre-
mium” varies from team to team, but generally consists of club
seating and any kind of ticket that includes added amenities. On
average, MLB teams designate about 14 percent of inventory into
the “premium” category.
Boston retained its top spot for both average non-premium
season ticket price ($52.34) and FCI ($350.86).
The Red Sox did not raise ticket prices after a last-place sea-
son in 2014. Nor did the New York Yankees, who remains sec-
ond in ticket price ($51.55) and FCI ($337.20).
The Yankees have the highest premium average ticket at
$305.39.
The Chicago Cubs inched up ticket prices for the first time
since 2010, with a 1.5 percent increase to $44.81. Their average
premium ticket rose a few dollars to $113.48.
The Cubs will be without around 5,000 seats at Wrigley Field
until at least May 11, as the reconstruction of the bleachers has
been delayed. The right field area isn’t slated to open until mid-
June.
The Philadelphia Phillies ($37.42) and Washington Nationals
($36.02) round out the top five most expensive tickets.
The Kansas City Royals, last season’s surprise World Series
team, had the biggest percentage increase for the second straight
season, as their average ticket is up 20.3 percent to $29.76. Last
season, the Royals raised ticket prices by 24.7 percent.
The Houston Astros (up 13.7 percent to $31.82), the Los Ange-
les Dodgers (up 10.9 percent to $28.61), the Pittsburgh Pirates (up
9.1 percent to $19.99) and Seattle Mariners (up 9 percent to $31)
also had substantial increases.
The World Series champion San Francisco Giants, one of the
early adopters of dynamic pricing, increased their average season
ticket price by 6.8 percent to $33.78.
Sixteen teams raised prices by at least one percent, compared to
17 last season, and none reported a percentage decrease, down from
two in 2014.
The average “cheap” MLB beer is down in price a little from last
season at $5.97 for a 15-ounce pour with several teams reporting
cheaper options than in 2014. Seventeen teams reported a cheap-
est beer at, or above, the league average.
Where do you go for bargains? Once again, San Diego has the
cheapest average ticket at $16.37, which is flat this season after a
small increase in 2014. The Padres had the busiest offseason of any
team and are expected to compete with the big-money Dodgers in
the NL West.
The Arizona Diamondbacks keep their stranglehold on the low-
est FCI total at $126.89. Their average ticket was also flat at $17.98.
Three teams in the in the top 10 (Giants, Cardinals and Nation-
als) of 2015 FCI totals made the playoffs last season, as did three
in the bottom 10 (Angels, Pirates and Orioles).
