Yankees 'Adjusting' Ticket Prices

Amid the worst economic crisis in decades and with swaths of empty seats visible in the first six regular season games at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees will lower the ticket prices -- by half in some cases -- for some of their most expensive seats this season.

"There are a few hundred suite seats in our premium locations that have not been sold on a full season basis," Hal Steinbrenner, Yankees managing general partner said in a statement Tuesday. "As a result, and for many of our fans who have already purchased full season suite seats in such premium locations, the Yankees are announcing today a program that adjusts certain prices and benefits affecting such suite seats."

The primary adjustments come in the so-called Legends Suite -- the sections of seats located closest to the field along the first- and third-base lines. The Yankees are cutting tickets priced at $2,500 per game in those areas to $1,250 and the $1,000 tickets to $650.

But there are a host of other packages and deals the Yankees will be offering, including handing out complimentary tickets to fans who have already purchased select luxury tickets:

A. The full season Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses in the first row in Sections 15A, 15B, 24B and 25 will be reduced from $2,500 to $1,250 per regular season game. All fans who have purchased such full season Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive, at their choice, a refund or a credit.

B. The full season Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses in the first row in Sections 11, 12, 13, 27B, 28 and 29 will be reduced from $1,000 to $650 per regular season game. All fans who have purchased such full season Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive, at their choice, a refund or a credit.

C. All fans who purchased full season $2,500 Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses in the first row, in Sections 16 – 24A, will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the first row in Sections 16 - 24A for each of the remaining regular season games during the 2009 regular season.

D. All fans who purchased full season $1,250 Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the $1,250 Legends Suite price category for 24 games during the 2009 regular season, as selected by the Yankees.

E. All fans who purchased full season $850 Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the $850 Legends Suite price category for 8 games and in the $500 Legends Suite price category for 4 games during the 2009 regular season, as selected by the Yankees.

F. All fans who purchased full season $600 Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the $500 Legends Suite price category for 10 games during the 2009 regular season, as selected by the Yankees.

G. All fans who purchased full season $500 Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive an equal number of complimentary Legends Suite Seats in the $500 Legends Suite price category for 8 games during the 2009 regular season, as selected by the Yankees.

H. Future 2009 regular season sales of full season $1,250, $850, $600 and $500 Legends Suite and Ticket Licenses, will receive comparable (dependent upon the price of the Legends Suite and Ticket License) benefits during the 2009 regular season, subject to availability.

I. The Delta SKY 360 Suite and Ticket Licenses in the first row in Sections 218A – 222 will be reduced from $750 to $550 for each regular season game. All fans who have purchased such full season Suite and Ticket Licenses will receive, at their choice, a refund or a credit.

In addition, for 2009, so as to encourage fans to purchase full season ticket plans in the Field Level Sections 115 – 125, the Yankees are also adopting a program affecting a few hundred seats. And, for our fans who have already purchased, on a full season basis such Field Level seating priced at $325 Sections 115 – 125, the following program is being adopted effective immediately:

A. Going forward all fans when purchasing, on a full season basis, three (3) full regular season ticket plans priced at $325 per regular season game in Sections 115 – 125 will receive a fourth full regular season ticket at no additional cost.

B. All fans who have purchased full season plans priced at $325 per regular season game will receive complimentary regular season tickets within Sections 115 – 125 for remaining regular season games during the 2009 regular season as follows:

1. If you purchased two (2) or three (3) full season tickets you will receive two (2) tickets for every other regular season game, commencing with either the Thursday evening game on April 30, 2009 or the Friday evening game on May 1, 2009 and alternating for the remainder of the season.

2. If you purchased four (4) or five (5) full season tickets you will receive two (2) tickets for every regular season game during the balance of the 2009 regular season, commencing with the Thursday evening game on April 30, 2009.

3. If you purchased six (6) or seven (7) full season tickets you will receive three (3) tickets for every regular season game during the balance of the 2009 regular season, commencing with the Thursday evening game on April 30, 2009.

4. If you purchased eight (8) full season tickets you will receive four (4) tickets for every regular season game during the balance of the 2009 regular season, commencing with the Thursday evening game on April 30, 2009.

The Yankees have taken a lot of heat for their lavish new palace and exorbitant ticket prices in this economy, most of it unfairly. They, like everyone else, couldn't have seen a collapse of this magnitude coming when they were laying the plans for the new stadium.

It took them a few weeks, but they are reacting accordingly.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

4-28-2009 @ 7:34PM

cretan85 said...

yankeeeeeeeesssssssss sssssssssuuuuuuuuccccccccccckkkkkkk

4-28-2009 @ 8:46PM

sprofc said...

Who would be crazy enough to spend that kind of money to watch the Yanks ??? Glad the seats are empty !

4-28-2009 @ 8:52PM

jim spencer said...

Are the serious ?!? $2500.00 for one seat to a ball game ? Thats almost 4 months pay for me !!! No wonder people can't afford tyo live, we're paying too much for spoiled kids to play a game and take performance enhancing drugs. Little League is free people !!!!

5-04-2009 @ 3:32PM

chigirlmi said...

I totally agree!! Hard to go ANYWHERE. Sure MAYBE you could take yourself (not $2500 of course) but to take a family? Out of reach!!

4-28-2009 @ 9:15PM

arkmanmat said...

That's because your team SUCKS.hahahahahaha

4-28-2009 @ 9:24PM

slicric13 said...

Winning a couple of big games would help too!

4-28-2009 @ 9:55PM

sgtmike132 said...

Have the New York papers put an asterisk next to the Yankees since one of their players was caught cheating? I hope they aren't being hypocrites.

4-28-2009 @ 10:36PM

Daryl said...

STICK YOUR TICKETS WHERE YOUR SON DOESN'T SHINE GEORGE!!!

4-28-2009 @ 10:41PM

gryjmcgrath said...

It ain't over til ya can't sell the seats. Friggin dopes.

4-28-2009 @ 11:00PM

kzone10 said...

"The Yankees have taken a lot of heat for their lavish new palace and
exorbitant ticket prices in this economy, most of it unfairly."

Unfairly?!! Author Andrew Johnson must be a millionaire or a minority owner of the Yankees. These ridiculous ticket prices would have been
obscene even in a thriving economy. With 65% of the seats at the new stadium over $100 each, it's obvious The Stadium was built with the
corporate businessman in mind-not your average fan. With corporate monies drying up, the Yankees are reducing the cost of these tickets.
You know what-it's not eneough! The Phillies are turning away people at their doors because they offer fair prices, excellent baseball and
a great venue for their fans and families-NOT the corporate big wigs that Yankees are trying to woo. The Yankees are trying to squeeze
blood from their fans-and smart fans are staying home.

4-28-2009 @ 11:05PM

franksdreamland said...

NOT EVEN IF I GOT THOSE TICKETS FOR FREE WOULD I GO TO A YANKEE GAME. THEY GOT SOME BALLS TO CHARGE THESE CRAZY PRICES JUST TO PAY THEIR OUT OF SPACE SALARIES. I THINK ITS THE FAULT OF GEORGE'S SONS THAT ARE BEHIND THESE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES. I HOPE THE WHOLE DAMM BALLPARK FILES BANKRUPTCY. IT WILL BE THE BEST NEWS ON TELEVISION IF THAT HAPPENS. THEY ARE NOTHING BUT GREEDY BASTARDS, ALL OF THEM. AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SURROUNDING YANKEE STADIUM LOOKS LIKE A WAR ZONE. Derick should try living there instead of Trump Towers and see how it feels living in slum around the stadium.

4-28-2009 @ 11:25PM

bzsurf7 said...

rmember when you could take your family to a Yankee's game. Why would you pay for a pathetic product?

4-28-2009 @ 11:34PM

check the yanks salaries. and remember they are 10-10...

Team Payroll Average salary
N.Y. Yankees $201,449,289 $7,748,050
New York Mets 135,773,988 4,849,071
Chicago Cubs 135,050,000 5,402,000
Boston 122,696,000 4,089,867

OVER PAID!!!!!!!!

4-29-2009 @ 12:26AM

bar8416 said...

YESSSSSSSSSSS THANKS for the news on empty seats havent been to a game in 10 years WHY ? ripoff tickets ripoff parking ripoff food Hope they go belly up YESSSSSSSSSSS

4-29-2009 @ 1:28AM

bdmcrts said...

**clutches pearls** Who on this board has THAT kind of money to shell out with the economy in the shape that it's in?

There's no getting around it. If people don't have money for the tickets, they can't get past the turnstiles; if they can't get past the turnstiles, the Yankees won't make any money; and if the Yankees can't make that dough, they won't be able to break even. It's a domino effect, ladies and gents.

4-29-2009 @ 1:44AM

shalebrook said...

Who cares about the yankees anyhow? Best team that money can buy and they still are mediocre. Good luck with Sabathia etc. this season. You are off to a great start after two major whuppins in your home crib by the lowly Indians of all people. What do you have now-a $280 million payroll?

4-29-2009 @ 2:12AM

Beverly said...

Baseball is NO longer the AMERICAN past time as the average AMERICAN can NOT afford to take a family to a game. But other sports are also pricing out JOHN Q. PUBLIC. The reason for this, a bunch of outrageous salaries being paid. Professional Sports are no longer played for LOVE of the game, but rather than for FINANCIAL GAIN!

Then if you are lucky enough to save up money to go see a game in person, you are squeezed dry for parking, a program, a beverage (soda or beer), a bite to eat.....heck even Popcorn and Crackerjacks are over priced! But of course try bringing in your own sandwich or snack.....you will get ejected from the stadium if caught.

But until people start boycotting going to the games, prices will continue to rise unless of course multiple empty seats are visible everywhere. No Team wants pictures of massive empty seats to get out to the public, so these Teams will be forced to lower prices or have those empty seats get seen by all!

Folks, start bading together and show these venues you will NOT allow them to take you for all you have!

4-29-2009 @ 3:59AM

mike said...

Just think of it. I can sit in front of my TV ,relax and have an enjoyable meal and drink . Never have to put up with all the drunken fools at the park . Use the bathroom without getting evicted and won't have to fight traffic in the parking lot for 2 hours. All free of charge.

4-29-2009 @ 7:16AM

theburghk said...

i have said it before,ill say it again. i enjoyed the yankees in the past,way back with my idol [the mick] even di mag [seen him play] reggie was not a true yankee but performed like one, now its over,the salaries, the ticket prices,the greed,the fans do not count anymore,its all big business now,stop the world i want to get off.