J.C. Bradbury of Kennesaw State University talks with “A Closer Look” hosts Rose Scott and Denis O'Hayer about new stadium design, ticket and in-game promotions and public financing issues.

Are middle-class fans being priced out of going out to the old ball game?

It might seem that way, given rising ticket prices, seat license requirements and ball park fare that’s more expensive ─ if occasionally less caloric ─ than hot dogs and beer.

While this is a fair question to ask in Atlanta, where the Braves and Falcons are building new stadiums and the Hawks are thinking about a new arena, no-nonsense fans will still be able to watch the games the way they always have.

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They’ll just be expected to pay more to go through the turnstiles.

On “A Closer Look,” Kennesaw State University sports economist J.C. Bradbury said that new stadiums and arenas are being built with luxury and fan experience in mind, and that Atlanta is no exception.

That’s because spectators at major league sporting events are not only diehard fans. They’re also business men and women entertaining clients and people in group settings ─ family members, co-workers and organizational colleagues ─ enjoying quality time together.

“Now, it’s a broader fan experience,” he said. “The main event is no longer just the game.”

As part of an interview series about new Atlanta stadiums called “Under Construction,” Bradbury said that contrary to perceptions, sports teams are trying to cater to fans on a number of levels.

“You don’t want to make it just a luxury event,” he said. “That’s why you offer differentiated products.”

That’s easier to do in baseball, which has 81 home games and a variety of ticket plans. The Braves will be charging anywhere from $6 to $475 for game tickets at SunTrust Park, which opens in Cobb County in 2017.

The Falcons will also move into a new stadium in downtown Atlanta in 2017. Seat licenses alone — where fans pay for the right to later buy season tickets — cost between $500 and $5,000 each.

The upscale features include more than 5,000 club seats and several bars and restaurants. On Friday, it was reported that Mercedes-Benz, which is relocating to the Atlanta area, had purchased naming rights.

“Think about the fans they’re trying to attract to these games,” Bradbury said. ”It makes sense to reach that group of people.”

Stadium architectural design also has become an important factor. An old-fashioned appearance at many stadiums, especially in tradition-laden baseball, is accompanied by demands for new-fangled amenities.

“Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are not all that nice,” Bradbury said of the century-old baseball stadiums in Chicago and Boston that evoke nostalgia, if little else.

He compared present-day fans to homeowners searching for a cozy Craftsman bungalow. It’s about the look, more than the feel.

Ultimately, Bradbury said sports team owners are trying to find a balance between hardcore fans and spectators interested in entertainment and comfort.

“They’re trying to do things that are going to help their bottom line,” he said.

This is the fifth installment of WABE’s “Under Construction” series. Other installments in the “Under Construction” series include a report on Atlanta’s new stadium deals, a history of Atlanta stadium construction, an examination of stadiums and sustainability and an interview with Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee. He brokered a controversial 2013 deal to draw the Braves away from Turner Field and downtown Atlanta, where the team has played since 1966.