Masai Ujiri 'feels for the fans' as rebuilding Raptors raise ticket prices again

[TimeForChange]

bring back the sprite zone

[Johnny Bball]

I doubt they are going to sell lots of seasons and will sell less tickets overall to anyone coming from the west with the gardiner partly closed both ways for 3 years. Seems like poor timing.

I think I might be able to call the time it takes to drive Downtown with almost the same with the time it takes to drive to Detroit over the next few years.

[Johnny Bball]

He answered this question at the press conference. MLSE sets the ticket prices but they ask his input on it.

I just read the quote. He says it’s above him but he has input. I guess at end of day the FO is accountable to MLSE shareholders and have to make sure the numbers work.

The Raptors can get away with higher prices despite a crappier product. The team has a strong brand, an entire country behind them, a large city with a lot of middle class and wealthy people, plus a league with a lot of star players who draw fans even if the home team sucks. Plus Toronto is a very expensive city already, inflation is sticky, and the team is trying to make up for the lost revenue from the Tampa season. It’s a bad look on the team but they know it’s a storm they can weather.

I actually think they’ll have better luck selling tickets next season. Rather than convincing fans to come out and watch a mediocre product, the pitch will be come out and watch a rebuilding team with several young stars including a hometown boy and an All Star.

Suppose there is a level of management above Masai (not Larry T), who is more knowledgeable about the business of entertainment / consessions etc, it will still be Masai who sets the ticket prices (based on his own team's research of market conditions and team's projected performance) then submit to his superiors for approval.

At the end of the day ticket prices are set partly due to market demand, brand loyalty, and market size, AS WELL AS the projected on-court performance. The management above Masai wouldn't be so hands on to research market demand, brand loyalty, and market size, and certainly wouldn't know a thing about projected on-court performance.

Obviously, Masai isn't going to admit at a PR that he hiked ticket prices despite a subpar projected on-court performance. He has a public image to upkeep, and he doesn't need to rationalize to the public how he arrived at the price hike due to market demand, brand loyalty, and market size outweighing subpar projected on-court performance.

Do you really feel comfortable that you know what you're talking about here?

I'm not sure of this guys actual job, but I'm betting he has a big say in it, along with Pelley.

https://assets-global.website-files.com/5e165d996f65e32d48f125a5/61e093a20e967933fafeec62_Tom%20McDonald%20Headshot%20for%20Website-p-500.jpeg

https://www.mlse.com/our-company/leaders-at-mlse

[hype_2004]

I doubt they are going to sell lots of seasons and will sell less tickets overall to anyone coming from the west with the gardiner partly closed both ways for 3 years. Seems like poor timing.

I think I might be able to call the time it takes to drive Downtown with almost the same with the time it takes to drive to Detroit over the next few years.

Toronto receives on average 30 million tourist per year that's over 82000 per day. They will have no problem with attendance even if they get 5-10% of these people it's enough to fill the gaps in attendance. If you happen to go to any Raptors home games you should know that foreigners are everywhere alongside corporate suits, affluent casuals and a few families here and there. You don't see the "hardcore" fans nor the dirt poor hoodlums that uses to frequent the cheap seats that are not so cheap anymore, these are not the target audience of the Raptors, they dont go to games, buy merchandise or even pay for cable, what they do these days is frequent RealGm or the other ball websites to bitch about how expensive the city and the team has become

[Johnny Bball]

I doubt they are going to sell lots of seasons and will sell less tickets overall to anyone coming from the west with the gardiner partly closed both ways for 3 years. Seems like poor timing.

I think I might be able to call the time it takes to drive Downtown with almost the same with the time it takes to drive to Detroit over the next few years.

Toronto receives on average 30 million tourist per year that's over 82000 per day. They will have no problem with attendance even if they get 5-10% of these people it's enough to fill the gaps in attendance. If you happen to go to any Raptors home games you should know that foreigners are everywhere alongside corporate suits, affluent casuals and a few families here and there. You don't see the "hardcore" fans nor the dirt poor hoodlums that uses to frequent the cheap seats that are not so cheap anymore, these are not the target audience of the Raptors, they dont go to games, buy merchandise or even pay for cable, what they do these days is frequent RealGm or the other ball websites to bitch about how expensive the city and the team has become

First, I never said they weren't going to sell out if you want to read it again. And I used to be a SSH for years so I've spent more than plenty on that team thanks. And they weren't "in the cheap seats".

[sbsat]

I doubt they are going to sell lots of seasons and will sell less tickets overall to anyone coming from the west with the gardiner partly closed both ways for 3 years. Seems like poor timing.

I think I might be able to call the time it takes to drive Downtown with almost the same with the time it takes to drive to Detroit over the next few years.

There is a waitlist for seasons they will sell them

[Johnny Bball]

I doubt they are going to sell lots of seasons and will sell less tickets overall to anyone coming from the west with the gardiner partly closed both ways for 3 years. Seems like poor timing.

I think I might be able to call the time it takes to drive Downtown with almost the same with the time it takes to drive to Detroit over the next few years.

There is a waitlist for seasons they will sell them

I know, I am on it. Read my post again. Its more about traffic.

[sbsat]

I doubt they are going to sell lots of seasons and will sell less tickets overall to anyone coming from the west with the gardiner partly closed both ways for 3 years. Seems like poor timing.

I think I might be able to call the time it takes to drive Downtown with almost the same with the time it takes to drive to Detroit over the next few years.

There is a waitlist for seasons they will sell them

I know, I am on it. Read my post again.

I read your post the fact there is a wailist suggests the tickets are already sold no matter if youre from the north east south west. People buy and hold the tickets they don’t necessarily show up for games

[Spritezoned]

bring back the sprite zone

[Tor_Raps]

bring back the sprite zone

If you wish it, they will come lol

[Corson27]

There is a waitlist for seasons they will sell them

I know, I am on it. Read my post again.

I read your post the fact there is a wailist suggests the tickets are already sold no matter if youre from the north east south west. People buy and hold the tickets they don’t necessarily show up for games

This is true. Plus a decent number of season ticket holders will always be corporate accounts (especially those who don’t take their clients to Leaf games for example).

[Johnny Bball]

I know, I am on it. Read my post again.

I read your post the fact there is a wailist suggests the tickets are already sold no matter if youre from the north east south west. People buy and hold the tickets they don’t necessarily show up for games

This is true. Plus a decent number of season ticket holders will always be corporate accounts (especially those who don’t take their clients to Leaf games for example).

Not sure on the period it started (and if its ended) but for lots of those corporate accounts buying leafs licensed seats, they forced them to take Raptors tickets seasons to get the leaf seasons after some point. Maybe its not the same now, but that's how it use to be.

[refshateRaps]

I read your post the fact there is a wailist suggests the tickets are already sold no matter if youre from the north east south west. People buy and hold the tickets they don’t necessarily show up for games

This is true. Plus a decent number of season ticket holders will always be corporate accounts (especially those who don’t take their clients to Leaf games for example).

Not sure on the period it started (and if its ended) but for lots of those corporate accounts buying leafs licensed seats, they forced them to take Raptors tickets seasons to get the leaf seasons after some point. Maybe its not the same now, but that's how it use to be.

I truly wonder if this is one of the bigger safety nets that keeps ticket prices going up at absurd rates?

The rate of change branched far away from the average consumer years ago and I believe most corporations are all willing partners these days anyway to fill seats. Each time a season ticket holder throws in the towel they are covered to keep jacking prices.

I'd expect it only to get worse far worse in the coming years as the team wins and the large Corporations continue to grow at an accelerated pace.

With dynamic prices SSH struggle to break even in the best of seasons for games they cant attend. There truly is little value here for non corporate cash paying fans of any income bracket.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

We're a 25 win team. So, I'd have to question the the understanding of value for the individuals buying this product. As long as they find people dumb enough to pay, so be it.

Besides, if we keep the pick we're probably a sub 30 win team next year. Doing the exact same thing we did this year. Playing kids to keep SA from taking the pick.

[Saul Goodman]

Ehh - I'd rather catch a game in the states .. where it is cheaper to watch the team.

Legit! Last playoffs I went with my fiance to Cleveland to watch a first round game(game 5 elimination game lol) 60 dollars Canadian each ticket. We spent less on the entire round trip then one ticket at Raptors game.

[hype_2004]

We're a 25 win team. So, I'd have to question the the understanding of value for the individuals buying this product. As long as they find people dumb enough to pay, so be it.

Besides, if we keep the pick we're probably a sub 30 win team next year. Doing the exact same thing we did this year. Playing kids to keep SA from taking the pick.

See my previous post regarding the market and demographics the Raptors upper management are trying to cater to and you'll find your answer.

[hype_2004]

Ehh - I'd rather catch a game in the states .. where it is cheaper to watch the team.

Legit! Last playoffs I went with my fiance to Cleveland to watch a first round game(game 5 elimination game lol) 60 dollars Canadian each ticket. We spent less on the entire round trip then one ticket at Raptors game.

Cost of living factor regarding location, now compare Raptors tickets to those of the Knicks and Lakers and get back to me.

[tecumseh18]

There is a waitlist for seasons they will sell them

I know, I am on it. Read my post again.

I read your post the fact there is a wailist suggests the tickets are already sold no matter if youre from the north east south west. People buy and hold the tickets they don’t necessarily show up for games

Since I cancelled online over a month ago (after >10 seasons), I've received four e-mails from my MLSE agent, none of which I've responded to. Here's this morning's missive.

Hi [tecumseh18],

Hope you’re well.

I’m following up on our emails below as I wanted to outline your options before you outrightly cancelled your membership.

Please let me know when you’re free to chat.

Thanks ...

This same guy earlier told me that they have waitlist of 10,000. But they clearly have a retention policy. As someone who resold a many Raptors tickets through Ticketmaster over the years, I can't believe they are finding it that easy to replace SSH suckers like me in this era of Raptorball.

[Johnny Bball]

I know, I am on it. Read my post again.

I read your post the fact there is a wailist suggests the tickets are already sold no matter if youre from the north east south west. People buy and hold the tickets they don’t necessarily show up for games

Since I cancelled online over a month ago (after >10 seasons), I've received four e-mails from my MLSE agent, none of which I've responded to. Here's this morning's missive.

Hi [tecumseh18],

Hope you’re well.

I’m following up on our emails below as I wanted to outline your options before you outrightly cancelled your membership.

Please let me know when you’re free to chat.

Thanks ...

This same guy earlier told me that they have waitlist of 10,000. But they clearly have a retention policy. As someone who resold a many Raptors tickets through Ticketmaster over the years, I can't believe they are finding it that easy to replace SSH suckers like me in this era of Raptorball.

There's probably a large number of people who have been priced out since putting their name on that list. I gave up my seasons to share with a guy I knew. He turned out to be less than fair so I put my name back in 4 years ago. But they've probably priced me out from wanting them again. I can't be alone.

Seat licenses used to stop at row 17 (last row of it) in the lower bowl. Since then I think that has changed and its been moved way up whenever those tickets come up.

[Duffman100]

I just read the quote. He says it’s above him but he has input. I guess at end of day the FO is accountable to MLSE shareholders and have to make sure the numbers work.

The Raptors can get away with higher prices despite a crappier product. The team has a strong brand, an entire country behind them, a large city with a lot of middle class and wealthy people, plus a league with a lot of star players who draw fans even if the home team sucks. Plus Toronto is a very expensive city already, inflation is sticky, and the team is trying to make up for the lost revenue from the Tampa season. It’s a bad look on the team but they know it’s a storm they can weather.

I actually think they’ll have better luck selling tickets next season. Rather than convincing fans to come out and watch a mediocre product, the pitch will be come out and watch a rebuilding team with several young stars including a hometown boy and an All Star.

Suppose there is a level of management above Masai (not Larry T), who is more knowledgeable about the business of entertainment / consessions etc, it will still be Masai who sets the ticket prices (based on his own team's research of market conditions and team's projected performance) then submit to his superiors for approval.

At the end of the day ticket prices are set partly due to market demand, brand loyalty, and market size, AS WELL AS the projected on-court performance. The management above Masai wouldn't be so hands on to research market demand, brand loyalty, and market size, and certainly wouldn't know a thing about projected on-court performance.

Obviously, Masai isn't going to admit at a PR that he hiked ticket prices despite a subpar projected on-court performance. He has a public image to upkeep, and he doesn't need to rationalize to the public how he arrived at the price hike due to market demand, brand loyalty, and market size outweighing subpar projected on-court performance.

Do you really feel comfortable that you know what you're talking about here?

I'm not sure of this guys actual job, but I'm betting he has a big say in it, along with Pelley.

https://assets-global.website-files.com/5e165d996f65e32d48f125a5/61e093a20e967933fafeec62_Tom%20McDonald%20Headshot%20for%20Website-p-500.jpeg

https://www.mlse.com/our-company/leaders-at-mlse

Anything to take a shot at Masai.