Ticket Specials

Attending a sporting event these days isn’t cheap. Ticket prices and concession costs are two of the biggest reasons fans don’t attend games. Tickets for a baseball game can range from $20-$250 depending on where you want to sit. To help encourage fans to come out to the ballpark, many teams offer various ticket specials.  Let’s take a look at a few:

1. Family Specials include discounted seats in the View (300) Level or Main Level and sometimes come with a food credit. These specials are good for families with young kids or even groups that aren’t big enough to qualify for the group rate. The only “tricky” part with a family special that includes a food credit is where you can use it. Make sure you know ahead of time what concession stands take the food credit and if there are any restrictions on what type of concessions you can purchase.
2. College Nights are becoming a popular special offered throughout MLB. Food and drink specials usually come along with the discounted tickets, making it even more appealing. Just make sure you have your student ID with you! College Nights usually happens during the months school is in session, so make sure you take advantage before you head home for the summer or get into the grind of the school year.
3. Military/Senior Discounts are fairly standard across all teams. Usually 10% off ticket prices, those who qualify can get up to 4 tickets per game. The only catch is that these tickets need be purchased in-person because you need to show a valid military ID or driver’s license.
4. Theme Nights are popular for mid-week games that might have a lower-projected attendance. However, more “popular” themes, like Social Media Night or Guys/Girls Night Out are typically scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays. Depending on the theme night you purchase tickets for, you usually get an extra “something”, such as a t-shirt, hat, or drink voucher.

Ticket specials are listed under the “tickets” tab on a team’s homepage. Make sure to check out your team’s website to see what ticket specials you can take advantage of this season!

A Basic Breakdown

Welcome to Ballparks and Recreation! Each week I’ll take a look at some of the best promotions and giveaways happening around Major League Baseball and pick my top 3-5 to share with you. Baseball has some of the best promotions in sports, thanks to the marketing teams who are passionate about both their team and the sport. With a 162 game schedule, coming up with promotions unique to your team and/or fit in with pop culture are key to a successful marketing campaign. They can help bring fans to the ballpark even though the team may be out of playoff contention or they can help fans get involved and excited about a playoff push.

Most promotions are related to the players and their accomplishments, such as a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, or Perfect Game. What’s really fun is when marketing teams tap into player personalities. A few examples include the San Francisco Giants giving away a bobblehead of Hunter Pence on his scooter and the Seattle Mariners doing a Buhner Buzz Cut Night in the ‘90s. These kinds of promotions help bring a sense of community to the fans and players, and remind fans that players are regular people who happen to be really good at baseball.

Baseball is meant to be fun, and the promotions that take place during the season are part of what I think makes the sport great. I’ve always been intrigued by them and can’t wait to see what 2016 brings.