The Tampa Bay Rays announced a handful of ticket promotions in their ongoing efforts to help boost attendance levels, and one was well received.
The Tampa Bay Rays were a 96-win team last year, won the wild card and advanced past the first round of the playoffs. This was good enough to draw less than 1.2 million fans, which was the worst in the American League in attendance. In fact, only the Miami Marlins had a worse attendance than the Rays, and they won nearly forty fewer games.
In an attempt to get fans through the turnstiles at Tropicana Field the Rays went live with a ticket promotion which sold like hotcakes. The subscription price for a standing room only ticket to all home games is $36 a month. The team released 500 of these packages and they sold out within the hour. The Rays were taking names for a waitlist in case they chose to make more of these available.
The Rays Win Pack allows fans the opportunity to attend four games for $99 and if the Rays win all of them, fans get a voucher to attend the fifth game for free.
These are added to the ticket promotions the Rays have promoted for years. Military, teachers and first responders can purchase field level and baseline reserved tickets up to four games for $10. Throughout the season these same professions can receive two complimentary tickets to select games for fans who sign up on the website.
Children 14-years and younger who join the Rays Rookies kids club can get into the game for $2 with the purchase of a full-price adult ticket.
These promotions are tremendous and a great way to get fans in the doors. The stadium-area-economy benefits greatly from increased attendance at games. Adding up the costs of parking, concessions, hotels, and restaurants in the area, and the area stands to see an increase in profit can the Rays draw the fans in.
The problem remains the same, the stadium is on an island out in St. Petersburg. The locals are not sure whose team it is, Tampa Bay’s, St. Pete’s, Montreal’s, Major League Baseballs. I do think this is a move in the right direction for the Tampa Bay Rays and the fans though some obstacles still remain.