The Minnesota Twins finally had a winning season (83-79) in 2015 after having lost 90 or more games for four consecutive years and watched as their attendance drop lower and lower each season. The team’s performance kept individual game ticket prices relatively flat during the losing stretch but after finishing just two games over the .500 mark Twins management has decided that it is time to raise the ticket prices, after all, the team hasn’t raised their ticket prices since 2012. I noticed this past off-season that the Twins didn’t brag about holding down ticket prices and they made no announcement that ticket prices would go up but you didn’t have to be a genius to assume that ticket prices would rise in 2016. So let’s dig in a bit and see what transpired this off-season.
Twins Raise Ticket Prices
Bottom line is that the Twins raised ticket prices $1-$3 for every seat in the Main Level of Target Field for every tier of games in 2016. The club pretty much left the Club level, Terrace Level, Outfield Mezzanine Level and Budweiser Roof Deck tickets at 2015 prices except for “The Field View” tickets in the Terrace level which were increased by a buck for each tier of games. These price changes increase the average 2016 Twins ticket price to $31.72 from an average of $31.25 in 2015.
The variable ticket pricing plan that was instituted in 2006 with 2 tiers jumped to 3 tiers in 2009 and 5 tiers in 2013 remains unchanged in 2016. Last year the tiers were called “extra value”, “value”, “select”, “premium” and “elite” but this year the Twins have not yet announced the names for the tiers nor how many games fall into each tier but with a little digging I think we have gotten down to the bottom of it. The number of games in each of the tiers did change slightly once again from 2015. The “extra value” games are the cheapest priced games and all eight of these games fall in April and September when school is in session and the weather is expected to be cooler. The next step up is the “value” plan and the number of games in this category decreases from twelve last season to eight in 2016. The “select” category is the middle of the line category and this is pretty much the Twins baseline for ticket prices. The number of games in this category increases this year to 49 games from 41 last year. The next step up is the “premium” games and the Twins decreased the number of games in this category from nine to eight. The top of the line category is the “Elite” games and this category of games remained unchanged at eight games. The Twins strategy this season puts 60% of the games in the middle “select” tier and then splits the remaining 40% of the games evenly between the lower tiers and upper tiers.
Individual game tickets went on sale February 20 but those prices are only in effect for one day because as of February 22 demand-based pricing kicks in for the rest of the season and the Twins and their demand-based pricing partner, Digonex Technologies, Inc. will monitor and change ticket prices based on a number of conditions.
Average ticket prices for the various tiers
An “extra value” game is $16.85, a “value” game is $24.40, a “select” game is $31.70, a “premium” game is $38.95, and an “elite” game is $46.70. If you attend an “elite” game you will pay on average about three times as much for your seat as you would if you attended an “extra value” game. Same seat, same game of baseball but the tier designation determines how much money stays in your wallet. By the way, if you are lucky enough to sit in the first row, you will have to pay a $5 or $10 premium depending on what section your seat is in.
2016 Twins single game ticket prices on February 20
(Main level) Champion’s Club – Season Ticket only Dugout Box – $51/$68/$84/$100/$117 Home Plate Box – $38/$51/$63/$75/$88 Diamond Box – $29/$39/$48/$57/$67 Field Box – $23/$30/$37/$44/$51 Left Field Bleachers – $10/$17/$24/$31/$38 The Pavilion – $12/$20/$27/$34/$43 Overlook – $12/$20/$27/$34/$43 Great Clips Great Seats – $29/$34/$42/$49/$56 (Club level) Legend’s Club – Season Ticket only The Deck – $19/$25/$31/$37/$43 (Terrace level) Home Plate Terrace – $21/$28/$35/$42/$49 Field Terrace – $10/$18/$25/$32/$40 Home Plate View – $10/$18/$25/$32/$40 Skyline View – $6/$11/$16/$21/$26 Field View – $7/$11/$15/$19/$23 Family Section (Alcohol-free section includes a hotdog & a soda) – $10/$18/$25/$32/$40 (Outfield Mezzanine level) U.S. Bank Home Run Porch Terrace – $10/$17/$24/$31/$38 U.S. Bank Home Run Porch View – $7/$12/ $17/$22/$27 Grandstand – $7/$12/$17/$22/$27 (Budweiser Roof Deck) Fixed View Seat – $18/$27/$36/$45/$54 Standing Room ticket – $8/$12/$16/$20/$24Season Ticket Prices
Although I did not spend a lot of time comparing 2016 season ticket prices to 2015 prices it appears that the season tickets jumped up in the same areas as did the single ticket prices. The Left Field Bleachers full season ticket for example went for $1,620 in 2015 and in 2016 it costs $1,701 which brought the ticket price up $1 a ticket from $20 to $21. If you yearned for the best of the best, which is the Thomson Reuters Champions Club then you would need to fork over $24,705 this year, up $10 a ticket from $23,895 last year.