Judging by the dwindling crowds at the Stadium and declining audience on YES, Yankees fans haven’t exactly bought into the excitement of the wild card race. For most of the year, but particularly over the last month, apathy has replaced the usual fervor in the Bronx. And, even with a chance to clinch a postseason berth vs. the rival Red Sox, no-shows have seemingly outnumbered fans eager to celebrate the team’s return to October baseball.

Yankee Stadium Attendance, 2009-2015

Note: As of September 29, 2015. Dotted line is a two-year moving average.

Source: Baseball-reference.com

Yankees Ratings on YES, 2003-2015





Note: 2003 is first year that YES was carried on the Cablevision system. Rating is based on viewing households compared to Nielsen estimates for total New York market size. 2004 Household number not available. 2008 rating is estimated based on 2009 total New York market households and may differ from the actual rating. 2015 HH rating is as of July 7.

Source: YES Network, Nielsen, New York Times, TV By the Numbers

How will Yankee fans react once the playoffs begin? Will the team’s dormant fan base come to life, or will the same malaise that has plagued the pennant drive persist? If ticket availability for the postseason is an indication, the latter seems more likely. Despite being on sale for several days, the Yankees still have not sold out the home wild card game, and large swaths of tickets to the other October series remain.

Comparison of Yankees and Blue Jays ALDS Home Game #1 Ticket Availability



Source: MLB.com

It’s hard to blame Yankee fans for not being inspired by this year’s team. Although eminently likable, and at times exciting, the current edition of the Bronx Bombers pales in comparison to the more talented and star-laden teams of the recent past. However, the shortcomings of the team may not be the only thing keeping fans away. Despite spending much less money on payroll and fielding a weaker team, the Yankees have continued to burden fans with high prices and unfriendly ticket policies, and, for this year’s postseason, the organization has not relented.

In addition to the typically high prices, especially for seats without an obstructed view, the Yankees have adopted several policies designed to leverage postseason interest into 2016 regular season ticket sales. Instead of being rewarded for their year-long support, 2015 season ticket holders received a postseason invoice asking that they not only pay for the “total amount due for tickets to the maximum number of potential postseason games at Yankee Stadium”, but also sign up for next year in order to enjoy preferred pricing. Membership has its privileges when you are a Yankees fan.

Season ticket holders aren’t the only ones being asked to pay for next year’s tickets in advance. Groups interested in seeing the Yankees play in October are being similarly burdened, but without the promise of preferred pricing. Not only are those seeking to buy postseason tickets in bulk being required to pay full price for the game of their choice, but they must also place a down payment on an escalating number of games for next year. This open-ended commitment has the potential to add as much as $33 (plus handling charges) to the price of a postseason ticket, assuming you even get to see a game in October. According to a Yankees’ ticket representative, if the team plays just one postseason game (i.e., the wild card playoff), then 2016 regular season deposits become non-refundable.

Illustration of Yankees’ Postseason Group Purchasing Policy Using Obstructed Bleacher Seats

Note: Excludes handling charges and convenience fees and assumes 2016 ticket prices are not increased.

Source: Yankees.com (pricing information)

To illustrate the burden of this policy, consider a group of 10 interested in buying obstructed Bleacher seats to the World Series. Without an added obligation, the total cost would be $860 (plus handling charges), but, because the Yankees now require an open-ended commitment for 2016, an additional $330 down payment for three games in 2016 is also due. In the example, the group’s $330 deposit would be held by the Yankees as a credit toward the purchase of 10 tickets to three games in 2016 (which, even at the cheapest ticket price in 2015, would translate into another $210 plus handling charges). And, what if the group is unable to plan three outings next year? Tough luck. They can always forfeit the deposit to the Yankees and get nothing in return.

Yankees “Guest” Policy: Comparison of How Different Teams Refer to Fans

Source: Various team websites

Considering how many season ticket holders and postseason ticket purchasers are corporate accounts, it’s hard to express too much outrage over the Yankees’ ticket policies. But, that’s kind of the point. Instead of appealing to its core fan base, the Yankees have seemingly shifted their marketing focus toward a new type of customer: one more concerned with convenience and amenities than watching a great team win a lot of games. No wonder the Yankees have become fond of referring to the people who attend games as “guests”. Instead of trying to please hardcore fans with dynastic teams, the Yankees have turned toward providing luxury and hospitality to guests, who may not only be more likely to pay exorbitant prices and tolerate burdensome policies, but less demanding when it comes to the quality of the team. Maybe that’s why the Yankees pre-paid ticket revenue has increased substantially? After all, it’s much easier to sell high priced tickets when the value proposition is based more on amenities and experience (all you can eat gourmet dining for Legends seats, for example) than success and star power (i.e., All Star baseball players cost more than prime rib and cream puffs).

Yankees Pre-Paid Ticket Sales and Luxury License Revenue

Note: Includes ticket and suite revenue collected in a year prior (e.g., 2014 season ticket fees paid in 2013).

Source: Unaudited statements from MRB filings pursuant to continuing disclosure requirements.

With many fans not buying into the Yankees’ new philosophy, it remains to be seen whether the organization will have to reverse course and return to a “win at all cost” strategy, especially with the Mets threatening to take mind and market share. However, as long as the Yankees have so much revenue locked into place, and an increasing percentage of the fan base divorced from an expectation of winning, they’ll likely remain less responsive to the anger of diehard fans and unconcerned by the apathy that has been fostered.

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