Mets Take Fans to the Bank with New Citi Field Ticket Prices

2008_08_mettix.jpg
Graphic from the NY Post, with a sad Mr. Met added in

Tickets for top of the line Mets tickets at will nearly double next year when they move into Citi Field. That means that seats right behind the dugout will go for just under $500 a pop. At Shea this year, Mets tickets are already the fourth most expensive in the league.

Demand is likely to rise next year not only because of buzz sure to surround the new $800 million stadium, but also because Citi Field will house almost 15,000 fewer seats than Shea. The new stadium will seat 42,500. While that might mean a better view of games, the average attendance for a Mets game at Shea last year was over 47,000.

The best seats at Citi Field will still be a good deal lower than the new Yankee Stadium that will also debut in 2009 where seats behind home plate will run up to $2500. That's not enough to satisfy Mets fans like the season ticket holder in today's NY Post who said, "The Yankees have won 26 World Series, I'm sure they can justify it. You guys won two and had the biggest collapse of all time last season."

Maybe frugal fans will have to start familiarizing themselves with the Amazin's up-and-comers and head out to Coney Island, where Cyclones Field Box seats go for $15 for a game that includes an on-field race between three different hot dog mascots that burst thru the outfield wall in between innings.

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Comments (15) [rss]

really? it only cost $800k to build that ballpark? That makes it cheaper than the two bedroom apartment on sale in my building three floors down.

I wonder how much it is for those 2,500 standing room spots they say they're going to have...

But either way, it's not worth it to go to the game anymore, especially with the teams playing like they are now.

wow... thats pricey

[walks off to take a bath in Dom Pérignon]

San Francisco did this with their new(ish) park. They went from one of the worst dumps in the league to a smaller, modern stadium with good views and awesome food. Going to the park became an experience and led in loads of non-fans and tourists.

I don't think the prices makes it any less likely that I'll make the trip out once a year to see the Giants play at the Mets... but I don't think they're really going to bring in more casual fans at those prices when the stadium is still out in flushing unless the stadium or the product on the field is amazing.

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Yankee tickets will be more expensive because there will be no stadium sponsor. meaning, the stadium will be called Yankee Stadium and not say, Citi Stadium.

It sucks, but at least they're keepin' it real.

They don't want the casual fans, they want the high rollers to show up. As far as they're concerned, regular Mets fan (read: not rich) can stay home and watch it on TV, far away from the folks who'd rather not sit next to mere mortals.

I don't have a problem with wealthy people in general, only the ones who some day will need to be taught the correct way to behave.

personally I'd rather play catch in a park than go to a baseball game. The illision that it has anything to do besides getting 'fans' has been gone for a while.

What a rip off, it's already too expensive. Those $19 seats will probably be the last 5 rows in the outfield. And what will the Mets do when the team stinks and no one goes, lower the price?

You have to be kidding me. They don't care if any real fans can afford to go to the game just as long as get there money.

Paying over $50 for a baseball ticket seems obscene to me, but almost $500? That is just highway robbery.

The best seat at a big league baseball game I ever had I paid $15 (Canadian) for day of game. Behind the guy with the radar gun at the (then) Skydome in Toronto back in 1994.

Wow, I can't wait to watch them play in the new stadium from the comfort of my local bar.

Major League Baseball is behaving like a coke dealer: they overcharge for the experience, never return your phone calls, and they step all over the product. Fortunately, baseball isn't particularly addictive, although watching the Mets play of late is giving me a serious case of the DTs.

another excuse to stay home lol. oh wait thats all I do now with the family. we dont drive anywhere. everything has gone thru the roof.

Well, somebody has to pay for all those steroids.

Major league baseball is about as working class as a night at the opera now. They can keep it.

Greed will kill the MLB experience in NYC. The new stadiums solidfy both teams decision to take their game away from working class & family entertainment and go more towards corporate luxury boxes and season tickets. This way the team gets the money no matter if nobody shows up.

If I really wanted to see a game $19 isn't going to kill me. It stinks though that the amount of affordable seating is going way down which makes it harder to go to a game on a whim. The prices for the rest of the seats are ridiculous. I can go see a bdway show for less than that and get more for my money.

At very least, i'm glad there still is an option to buy tickets online for a game -- try buying tickets to see an NFL game. Its all but impossible unless you go thru a scalper. All the seats are season tickets.

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