<i> Rockets unveil overall price cut Average ticket drops 2.5 percent By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle After consecutive seasons in which their attendance careened to the bottom of the NBA, the Rockets this week will announce an overall cut in ticket prices and a dramatic change in the season ticket packages they will offer. The Rockets, coming off their worst season in nearly two decades and heading into their last season in Compaq Center, will enlarge the $10 ticket sections and dramatically increase the availability of $13 tickets -- the most inexpensive seats offered by the club. The number of $10 tickets will increase from 500 to 600, and the $13 tickets will jump from 650 to 1,380. The tickets added to the $13 sections had been $19.50. The new tickets in the $10 section had been $13. Other than those changes and a season-ticket discount in several upper-deck sections, ticket prices for all other seats will remain the same as last season. The 2.5-percent reduction in average ticket price will be the team's first price cut in at least 10 years. "We really didn't think of it as `let's drop the average ticket price,' " Rockets vice president for marketing Tim McDougall said. "Those $10 and $13 sections sold out almost every game last year. They were over 95 percent. There was a demand that exceeded the supply that we had, so ... we're going to add more of those tickets. "The $13 sections are very large now. We had fans that said `I know you have $10 and $13 tickets, but by the time I get to the game, they're always sold out. I could never buy them and I'd like to come to the game for that price.' There are some fans that buy for location. Location is the most important thing and they're going to buy down low. But some fans just want to be in the house and be a part of that experience. They're not going to pay a big premium to be in a down-low seat. We needed more seats for those fans." For the first time in franchise history, the Rockets will offer several partial season ticket plans in the offseason. The team experimented with mini-plans during the season last season, but will begin selling six-game, 12-game and half-season packages this month. The Rockets fell to last in attendance in the 2000-2001 season and outdrew only the lame-duck Charlotte Hornets last season with an average of 11,737 per home game. Traditionally, the Rockets' most- and least-expensive seats have sold well and there is a waiting list for several of the most expensive sections. McDougall said offering partial plans is a league-wide trend. "The philosophy behind those is the same as increasing the $10 and $13 seats; it's just listening to what different fans want," McDougall said. "For a lot of fans, it's not income or price that's driving their purchase but it's time. They just can't commit to 41 ... games. We want to throw some mini-packages out there that are tailored to these types of fans. They can only commit to a half a dozen or dozen games. "If you're sold out, you couldn't do this. That is a large part of the reason the Rockets' organization hasn't offered partial plans in the past. For so many years, it was sold out. We do want more fans in the building. We've talked a lot about being more responsive to what fans need and to what fans want, and we have to show it. "It's not strictly a response to a losing season. If we were in the middle of the NBA instead of last (in attendance), we would be doing something like this. Around the NBA there is a shift toward this. Mini-packs drove the increase in attendance overall in the league last year. The time is right." The plans offered -- the (Cuttino) Mobley 12-Pack, Around the World 12-Pack, (Steve) Francis Six-Pack and Yao (Ming) Six-Pack -- will package opponents based on star players. The Mobley plan will feature top shooting guards, the Yao plan top centers and the Francis plan top point guards. There are tentative plans for other ones, including additional Francis and Yao packages, a China Pack, Holiday Pack and Weekend Pack. The schedule for each plan is expected to be finalized this week. Last season's partial ticket plan that included the Lakers, and Michael Jordan and the Wizards easily outsold the plan that emphasized weekend and give-away games. "Part of our job as marketers is to make things fast and easy to understand," McDougall said. "I don't expect anybody to spend eight hours a days trying to figure out Rockets ticket plan options. We want to make it quick and easy and simple. And there's more fun to it. "The games included are tilted toward the biggest games. Half the games will be `A' games. We want fans to come in here, have a great experience and want to buy more tickets." The team also will offer discounts on season tickets purchased for the upper bowl corner seats, typically the toughest sell. Only the full- and half-season ticket packages will earn priority on seats in the new arena, to be opened for the start of the 2003-2004 season. The ticket package changes are part of the team's "Be Part of Something Big" campaign and an increase in its advertising budget. Billboards have begun going up around town, television and radio commercial spots are scheduled to begin late August or early September. Print advertising is planned for closer to the season. </i> This is a GREAT idea! Now I will probably go to 20-25 games, up from 12-15 last season. Plus by keeping ticket prices down and adding Yao Ming, the Rockets should be close to selling out a lot of their games this season. The previous $19.50 seats aren't bad, and at $13 they are a steal. I really hope this helps pack the house. B
Awesome. $13 for $19.50 seats is pretty reasonable. I'm still going to try to sneak into the lower decks late in the game.
Very smart move. I particularly like the mini plans. I could see myself buying those. I just couldn't go to 41 games per year. Often, I'll be sitting at my desk working while the game is on. That gives me a chance to plan for the games I really want to see.
I just purchased 2 half season tickets, plan B, section 223, row H, seats 1-2. I've never been a season ticket holder for anything before. Now I really hope this is a great season! I don't have someone to take to every game, so if some of you want to just go to some of the games at face value ($13) let me know. I think they are the best possible $13 seats. (If this is in the wrong forum, I'll delete this paragraph.) B
How much do you guys the attendance will go up from the 11,737 average? Oh, and what's the Compaq centre's capacity? I mean, what's max attendance?
Great Job Rockets!!! Too bad I was just transfered from Houston to West Palm Beach... Maybe I can catch the Rockets when they play the Heat or the Magic or when I am back on the weekends. I will definately attend more games this year.
Damn I wish I lived in Houston! I would get season tickets right behind HP so I could throw pop corn on him all night!
I would bet that it goes up considerably, maybe 14 or 15,000 a game. The capacity is 16,285, and come on Sane, you know to all Rockets fans its The Summit and not the Compaq Center
