Tuesday, April 05, 2005

The Hawks Can't Buy a Break

Not only do the Hawks have the worst record in the league, not only are they collapsing at the end of the year from mildly competitive to downright embarrassing, not only would they have a hard time beating the newly-crowned NCAA Champion, but now, they had to deal with additional negative press because they are raising ticket prices. And the worst part is that they also cut ticket prices as well, but they get no credit for that.

Basically, the Hawks increased ticket prices for all of their best seats, which are typically bought by people whose demand for those tickets is relatively inelastic. In other words, if you're going to spend $65 to watch a terrible team, then you're probably not going to mind paying an extra $10. Meanwhile, the Hawks dramatically cut prices on the most overpriced tickets in the arena: the upper deck seats behind the baskets. Those sections are almost always barren, so cutting those tickets from $25 to $10 is a smart move. It will make Hawks games more affordable for fans who are more affected by a $15 change in price. Plus, the Hawks are talking about $5/seat for those seats in a season ticket package. An NBA season ticket for $205? Hell, I'm not much of an NBA fan and I'd be very tempted by that offer.

The Hawks are doing what Arthur Blank did: cut end zone prices dramatically to encourage fans to buy cheap season tickets. Now, all they need is the basketball equivalent of Mike Vick and Philips might stop being such a mausoleum.

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