What can the U learn form the Twins "flash ticket sale"?

BleedGopher

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The Twins put out a promotion this week in which they offered $5 tickets (no add on fees) to any home game the rest of the month of May. The weather has been sub-par at best for their home schedule so far this season and advance ticket sales the rest of the month were looking bleak, despite the Twins fantastic start to the season. The flash sale lasted 48 hours and the Twins sold 32,000 additional seats for the remaining May home games. I didn't see any push back from existing ticket holders like we often see with Gopher fans, rather general excitement that more butts will be in seats and a lot of praise for the Twins for the unique promotion and very low price point.

While the additional $160,000 revenue from the ticket sales is not much, the additional money spent on concessions and engaging 32,000 more fans in a short period of time could have a big impact. I realize it's a lot easier to do this for a sport that has so many home games compared to the 6-7 the Gophers have a year, it does show that offering tickets at a very low price point can have a dramatic impact. There's definitely a risk of diluting the value of the ticket which has to be taken into consideration, but there is a balance here...especially as it relates to games that attendance is trending low.

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Go Gophers!!
 

It's almost like the Twins ticket folks understand basic economic principles...
 

Butts in the seats are better than empty seats
 

Please disregard this. I've been told the only solution is winning.
 

Please disregard this. I've been told the only solution is winning.

Do you think this flash sale would have been nearly as successful if the Twins were under .500 right now? Having the best record in baseball played a big factor IMO.
 


Do you think this flash sale would have been nearly as successful if the Twins were under .500 right now? Having the best record in baseball played a big factor IMO.

Do you think the flash sale helped sell 32,000 tickets? Or was that just coincidence?
 

I bought 2

Was going to buy 3 more but the group took long to decide and they were sold out by time they agreed to go
 


I think the flash sale thing is a good idea.

I think the folks who think you just lower the baseline prices across the board are crazy, but sales like this the week of or such are a good idea.


Beyond that though I don't expect that this would have a long term impact.
 



cough.... cough... The twins are winning right now.... cough... cough..

Again...would they have sold those 32,000 tickets in 2 days without the flash sale? That's my point.
 

Again...would they have sold those 32,000 tickets in 2 days without the flash sale? That's my point.

Would they have sold many if they sucked?

Twins have been hovering around the best record in baseball...
 

This was an awesome move by the Twins, and calls to mind the early 90s, when regular entertainment for broke college kids was to pool our money and buy $3 upper deck, outfield tickets for everybody, share a few jumbo-sized pops, and meet some hot blonde baseball fan girls. It was affordable fun for the non-Edina crowd.

But the U is not paying attention. They don't read the newspaper, they don't watch the news, and they do monitor fan chatter, but only they'll know what what to do the opposite of.

It seems very unlikely that the U powers-that-be will make a similar move.
 

Would they have sold many if they sucked?

Twins have been hovering around the best record in baseball...

I guess you're right, the Twins shouldn't have had the flash sale...it's not like it sold tickets or got them publicity...
 



Do you think the flash sale helped sell 32,000 tickets? Or was that just coincidence?

Of course it did. My point is without the winning part most promotions won't do that well. The Gophers have done promotions in the past that didn't have the same results probably because the team wasn't doing nearly as well. Wasn't there the Red Barron promotion last year where you could get free tickets?
 

The U needs to lower ticket prices or the forces of the market will create their own “flash sale”

I’ve gone to 6 Cubs games this year now at Wrigley paying $8-14 with fees included for each game in the secondary market. This is for supposedly the most expensive park in baseball and a winning team.
 

Of course it did. My point is without the winning part most promotions won't do that well. The Gophers have done promotions in the past that didn't have the same results probably because the team wasn't doing nearly as well. Wasn't there the Red Barron promotion last year where you could get free tickets?

The Gophers are winning right? I think I heard they won the last 4 of 5 or something like that.
Use that momentum and get creative like the Twins and sell some tickets. Status quo is not working. That's my point.
 

I guess you're right, the Twins shouldn't have had the flash sale...it's not like it sold tickets or got them publicity...

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The other adder for the Twins that goes beyond ticket and concession revenue is that you have 32000 fans who will see that going to a Twins game with a packed house can actually be fun and maybe worth the price of regular admission someday. Yes they timed it to go along with the team being hot, that isn't a bad time to generate interest in your club. I'd be fine with the gophers waiting until they start 4-0 and then blasting a deal like this to pack the stadium for the balance of the season.
 


Again...would they have sold those 32,000 tickets in 2 days without the flash sale? That's my point.

I guarantee they wouldn't have sold 32k tickets in 2 days if they were 12-23 instead of 23-12. The promotion worked because they are winning.

The gophers gave away free tickets last year and still couldn't even get half the stadium full.
 

The other adder for the Twins that goes beyond ticket and concession revenue is that you have 32000 fans who will see that going to a Twins game with a packed house can actually be fun and maybe worth the price of regular admission someday. Yes they timed it to go along with the team being hot, that isn't a bad time to generate interest in your club. I'd be fine with the gophers waiting until they start 4-0 and then blasting a deal like this to pack the stadium for the balance of the season.

It would be a smart move. Too smart for the athletic department.
 

Football and baseball is 100% Apples to Oranges! In my best estimation, all the Twins did was devalue the price of their tickets.
 


I guarantee they wouldn't have sold 32k tickets in 2 days if they were 12-23 instead of 23-12. The promotion worked because they are winning.

The gophers gave away free tickets last year and still couldn't even get half the stadium full.

Do you mean the pizza tickets or did I miss some other free tickets?
 


I know people complained last year but I have no problem with the Red Baron promotions. Get butts in the seats. I'll still buy season tickets.

Having said that, some of the trolling jokes on here about the pizza tickets are funny. :D
 

I bought 2

Was going to buy 3 more but the group took long to decide and they were sold out by time they agreed to go

Bought 4 for when my sister is in town this weekend, and was going to buy more before it sold out.
 

Another thing with the sale, they waived fees. That was big, too.
 






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