The New York Mets announced on Wednesday that ticket prices for the 2011 season will be cut by an average of 14 percent, as a result of two consecutive losing seasons. Season ticket holders will also receive an additional 10 percent off purchases such as concessions at Citi Field.
“The team performance is certainly a major factor,” said Executive Vice President Dave Howard. “The economy is a major factor. You know, we looked at the market, the secondary market and we saw where many of these tickets were selling in the secondary market.”
In an attempt to boost sales, season ticket holders will be able to partake in batting practice on the field on non-game days, watch batting practice on game days, and attend an event with Mets owners, members of the management team, or players.
2010 attendance at Citi Field fell to 2,573,137, down from the 3,154,262 spectators that attended games during the team’s first season in the ballpark.
“We’ve had a change in, a dramatic change in the economy,” said Howard, “and that I think is probably the most significant factor. And, you know, that was not something we could have anticipated. We need to sell more tickets than we did this year with an overall price reduction but we think we can do that.”
The Mets’ ticket grid had 220 categories of ticket prices for the 2010 season; tickets for 2011 games will fall in to one of 285 price categories. Prices for Delta Club Platinum, the highest-priced seats, fell from $460 to $440 per game, or $396 as part of a season ticket package.
Ticket prices for the Mets’ 2011 season will be at their highest on opening day and during the three-game series against the New York Yankees.
