CHICAGO -- Cubs season-ticket holders will receive a letter this week with the news that overall, the average ticket price will not increase for 2011, but that there is a new higher priced tier for 13 games.
The new level will be added to the current platinum, gold, silver and bronze tiers, and will be called the Marquee level. The price for the 13 Marquee games will increase about 12 percent from the platinum level. The 68 remaining games will see an average 8 percent decrease from 2010 pricing.
The 13 games include Opening Day, April 1 vs. the Pirates; the Interleague series against the Yankees, June 17-19; and against the White Sox, July 1-3; and the weekend series against the Cardinals, Aug. 19-21. The other three games at Wrigley Field are July 16 against the Marlins; July 23 against Houston; and Aug. 6 against Cincinnati. Those are all Saturdays; the other games in those series will not be listed as Marquee.
The Cubs evaluated more than 5 million pieces of primary- and secondary-market ticket data, going back to 2005, with a focus on '09 and '10, to determine fans' ticket-buying patterns. They knew that certain matchups, such as Cubs vs. Cardinals, drove ticket sales, plus what day the game was played on, plus whether it was a day or night game. The study helped determine the priority. For example, for some games in 2011, the bleachers may be priced at the "gold" level while the grandstand will be at the "silver" level.
Although the overall average ticket price will remain the same, Cubs team president Crane Kenney said on Friday that some season-ticket holders will see an increase of about 3 percent for 2011, depending on their seat location. The invoice for some season-ticket holders may be reduced by 6 percent, depending on location. Bleacher season-ticket holders could pay the same as they did in 2010. The invoices will go out later this month.
Next year, 17 percent of the Cubs' ticket inventory will be listed at $20 or less compared to 9.6 percent at that price in 2010, which is a 77 percent increase. That means there will be more than 550,000 tickets listed at $20 or less, including 15 games listed at $20 in the bleachers.
"The Ricketts really have a desire to improve the affordability, especially for families," Kenney said of the Cubs' owners.
Fans will still be able to buy an $8 ticket to select games at Wrigley Field. There also will be an increase in the number of Bronze level games for 2011 from six to 15.
The Cubs will introduce a holiday ticket pack. Fans will be able to purchase four-game packages at an average of less than $25 per ticket. Details will be announced at a later date.
Last year, 50 percent of the Cubs' ticket inventory went up, while the rest of the inventory remained the same, which resulted in an overall average ticket price increase
The Chicago Cubs will announce this month that ticket prices next season will stay the same as 2010 -- for the most part, but there will be discounted areas in many sections, including the bleachers.
The team created a new ticket category called the marquis level that will consist of 13 games, which includes the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals series. Prices for these game will increase between 8-15 percent with tax included.
The remaining 68 games will have the same ticket prices or less.
Upwards of 250,000 tickets during the season will be discounted from 2010.
The club boxes, which are the highest priced at Wrigley Field, will go up roughly three percent, or $300 on an $8,000 season ticket.
Cubs president Crane Kenney disputes estimates that the Cubs had the highest average season ticket in 2010. It was estimated at $52.83.
