The Cubs will offer fans an opportunity to purchase individual game tickets before they go on sale to the public on Feb. 19.
But the catch is that you'll be paying 20 percent more than the face value of the ticket
The team's Web site has announced the inaugural "MasterCard First Chance Pre-Sale," which begins on Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. All home games, including Opening Day, will be made available through Cubs.com by paying a 20 percent premium on each ticket. Fans can save five percent off that price if they use a MasterCard credit card for their purchase.
The pre-sale will be end at noon on Feb. 18, and a limited number of tickets will be made available.
According to Team Marketing Report, the average 2010 ticket price for Cubs home games will increase by 10 percent. The Cubs maintain that half of the seats at Wrigley Field will see no ticket increase at all, with the biggest price hikes reserved for the most expensive seats.
Please advise what network i should refer to for the cheapest chicago cubs tickets.
We can thank the greedy new Republican owner for the latest Cubs raping...
Thanks but I'll wait until I can get them on ebay during the summer when they are 15 games behind the Cardinals by the All-Star break. Here's a novel idea - don't go! Management will get the idea when people start staying home because it is too expensive to go. The Sox are slowly getting to that point also.
The Red Sox had a MasterCard presale last month:
4 ticket limit.
ONE game ONLY.
And only payment method was mastercard.
Only fees you paid were the standard tickets.com fees.
Now why couldnt the Cubs do this? Becuase they hate thier fans. That's why.
White Sox presales were held all last week. One presael per day for Season Ticket Holders, Ozzie Plan holders, Sox Pride members, and the last presale was for anyone that subscribe dto Sox emails. NO hidden or extra fees. No tricks, just tickets.
If Jerry Reinsdorf pulled this off, he'd be crucified by the media and be the subject of ridicule by Cub fans and scorn by Sox fans.
I'm just Suprised Johnny McCub did think of this idea years ago, cuz you'll be sure he does this with the Hawks next season....
Gene @ www.soxandthecity.net
Doug...Now that you're rolling in disposable income, your mom and I would like two tickets behind the Cubs dugout, no more than 4 rows back, for a day game. Thx. You're a beautiful guy.
The price of the tickets are getting high, but this is not technically the first tickets to be released. They already did season tickets and had a special 9- game ticket plan where you could buy up to six tickets per game ,but you had to choose from certain games during the year. They had groups A -I and you had to choose one game from each group. I believe only Terrace reserved and upperdeck box were available for this plan.
If Cubs won't spend (or worse yet, MIS-SPEND) for the product on the field, why should fans spend to watch another losing season? Sane people won't attend games & opt instead for free TV or cable (with which they quickly can opt for other channel choices after the 47th Zambrano meltdown).
Uh Ray -
"...the catch is that you'll be paying 20 percent more than the face value of the ticket...Fans can save five percent off that price if they use a MasterCard credit card for their purchase. "
20% - 5% = 15%
Its clearly noted in the article. Also, how do you know that Cubs fans themselves aren't bashing the Ricketts family for this? Its conceivable that the average Cubs fan would be upset about the available ticket pool shrinking even further. I personally don't care, but I won't try to speak for other Cub fans.
What isn't mentioned in this article is that if you use your Master Card you only pay 15% more. This is the equivalent of the Cubs cutting out the scalper. The only games people will take advantage of with this promotion are games that they were going to end up paying 50% more per ticket through a broker or scalper.
While this takes away more tickets at face value, most people won't notice a difference as they didn't have much of a chance at purchasing them at face value to begin with.
To those that are using this opportunity to bash the Cubs, seriously, they're NOT EVEN IN YOUR DIVISION OR LEAGUE....GET OVER IT ALREADY AND STOP GOING THROUGH LIFE WISHING TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MISERABLE ABOUT A BASEBALL TEAM THAT THEY FOLLOW.
"10% increased ticket prices??? For what?! What justification do they have for charging so much more for a team that continually is pathetic on the field???"
Because my fellow Cub fans are idiots who'll pay ANYTHING to watch this lousy team! Cub fans are already excited about Nady and Byrd - LOL!
Then after another disappointing year, they'll be angry until just after the next losing Bears season (they'll be overly optimistic about the Bears too) and then get excited again for the next year...and so on, year after year!
Meanwhile, ownership has no reason to really change...just focus on marketing while making a few superficial changes like bringing in a few has-beens each year to offer some hope...wait..hope and change...what a great marketing idea for the average dope!
HOPE AND CHANGE!
I didn't realize so many people on here were born yesterday. What did you knuckleheads think Ricketts was going to do, cut all ticket prices in half? Go back to $5 bleacher tickets? The demand is there so I'm sure a few of you clowns saying you are done with the Cubs won't make a difference. And in case you didn't read the whole article, which I'm guessing you didn't, this extra fee is only for people who want to buy tickets before they officially go on sale and there will only be a limited number available. You will still be able to get tickets at their regular price when they officially go on sale. So either quit whining over every single thing the Cubs do or just stop paying attention all together and find something else to do that doesn't cause you this much distress!
In a perfect economy, all tickets would be sold on an auction basis.
keboclueless: The only insulting or moronic part about it is you thinking the owners owe you anything less than raising ticket prices. Every team does it so grow up. If you cannot afford the extra 20% don't pay for tickets in the pre-phase. For those who wouldn't mind actually getting tickets this year (again, thanks to the crappy lottery setup) maybe 20% or 50% or 100% isn't that much a markup when we may only be able to go to 5 or so games.
Jerry: thanks for clearing it up to the truly clueless.
kebogue on February 12, 2010 2:39 PM
Oh boo hoo. 20% more. At least you'll have a chance to get tickets you more than likely wouldn't get with the crappy lottery system that they use now. If you hate the Cubs so much (win or lose) wait til they go on sale like everyone else.
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How clueless can you be? Surely any moron that will pay 20 percent more will pay 50 percent more. How about 100 percent more? I bet they will even throw in a tube of KY. The whole concept is insulting, and I agree with Steve. These new owners are making enemies fast.
Wow. I thought I might buy tickets for a game when they go on sale to the general public. I just changed my mind. The greed these pricketts are showing is over the top. Screw them and their baseball team. And their little dog too......
Oh boo hoo. 20% more. At least you'll have a chance to get tickets you more than likely wouldn't get with the crappy lottery system that they use now. If you hate the Cubs so much (win or lose) wait til they go on sale like everyone else.
What a great start for the new owners. Are they really that arrogant to think that fans won't see through this? Not to mention the fact that they don't list a 12.5% tax as part of the ticket prices so they look like they're less expensive than they really are. I won't even bring up the ice rink they built to allow them to gouge fans throughout the winter.
I give Ricketts credit as a businessman. If there are fans out there willing to pay at least a 15% premium for the first shot at tickets, he might as well gladly accept their money.
On the flip side, he's certainly not the next Arte Moreno.
The solution is a new stadium with more seats and ample parking. The drunks will then stay home or continue continue going to wrigley, while the baseball fans can get in to see a game at a competitive price. As long as the drunks and tourists who care nothing about baseball continue filling up Wrigley field, no matter how bad the team may be, this problem will never go Away.
Screw the new ownership and screw this team. I'm done with them
I don't know what's more retarded: this idea or Corky Thatcher
Here I thought Zell was bad... Looks like I will just start following the Twins.
The new owners are making a lot of enemies really quick both with the fans and other teams in Arizona. 10% increased ticket prices??? For what?! What justification do they have for charging so much more for a team that continually is pathetic on the field???
I HATE THE RICKETTS FAMILY!!!