They have not sold a single ticket. Not to mention the stadium is yet to be built and may not be completed by 2021. And if there end up being thousands on the waiting list, some deceived depositors who did not intend to make zero interest loans to Austin FC for two-plus years will be upset.
This was from the Austin expansion forum... Is this a seat deposit for 100 tickets? It does raise questions about the details behind the deposit counts. But, not worth brow beating Austin supporters over them. I'd also question building a 20k stadium if you can sell 30k tickets? Heck, it would make me want to talk to UT about playing there. You could probably put 40-50k in there.
So they expect a third or more of their depositors to welch? I agree this doesn't mean very much and that they won't have sold out their stadium until they actually sell all the tickets available. But the team seems to think this means something. We're trying to figure out what exactly since the team isn't being very clear. As best I can tell, they have sold some unknown number of deposits for 30K season seats (assuming everyone fulfilled their pledge) and that a deposit gets someone a place in line (or maybe only on a waiting list). It's not clear if the people on the waiting list will be charged for their deposit or not. Austin FC could provide some clarity if they wish. My guess is they won't.
Really? We're having this conversation? Again? Kansas City could've sold 30k seats in 2012. Orlando downsized from the Sun Bowl to OCS while still selling 30k/season. Why oh why do these teams do this? It's so short sighted. Both SKC and Orlando had non-sellouts this season. Oh, nevermind. Yeah, Austin has this much hot interest. Today. Come back in 2023 or 2025 and let's check again. Seattle has basically admitted that their wait list, ones many thousands long, has basically dwindled away. Teams are building for the long haul, not because of some hot trendiness. Both Columbus and Dallas re-jiggered their stadiums to reduce capacity.
I’m not sure Seattle ever had a real waiting list. In the early years they would sell out their season tickets and build a waiting list, but the next year the people on the waiting list would be consumed filling the attrition of the current year’s STH. I think the difference you’re identifying is that I don’t think the Sounders sell out their available STs any longer.. so, I probably just went pendantic on you. Oops.
Hey man, So the Austin FO told us that if we needed more than 8 tickets we should contact a sales rep. Apparently one of the sales reps had some ask for a block of 100 seats. That was before the deposit drive on wednesday. I assume it was probably a scalper.
Around the time PSV came into Austin there was another sports group (AS&E) that wanted to build a 40k seat soccer stadium that connected to a rodeo arena. The idea of 40k people seemed really far fetched, but the design was A+
and still they're top 3 on succesfull franchises in MLS, easily on top 25 of the world (business wise). So FO's want to maximize profit and to generate demand, and waiting lists are ideal for that? what a surprise? Austin is going to do just fine, Columbus too, and we will have a true, really hate-to-hate relationship, that's good! but everybody should stop pretending Austin is going to be a failure when evidence is pointing otherwise
It was actually PSV and the Austin fans who killed the idea. The proposal looks attractive but it would have been at the county fairgrounds, well outside the city.
Yeah, what Pod said. The expo center is definitely in need of an overhaul but it wasnt a great spot to build an "entertainment district". The Project was supposed to spark development out that way. It is closer than COTA though.
You know what I like about Austin renders? they're realistic haha, They didn't give us those galactic renders just to low budget it at the end. Not optimal and I hate, really hate, to have a new stadium with capacity below the average MLS attendance. The outdoors look good though, and in the end that's going to drive the attendance
If I were building for the long haul, I'd build on the big side. Sure, first year attendance of a new team, or other project is artificially high. Second or third year, it drops off. After that, it starts to grow again. MLS attendance and TV viewership grow year on year. I'd expect higher attendance each year. So, building for the long haul would favor a liitle too big over a little too small. Granted, 50k won't make sense, but I'm not sold that smaller than 25k makes sense in today's MLS.
This again? I guess no stadium discussion can go without this being mentioned. BTW, I agree with you in the sense that is very small minded for Austin just going for 20,000, just find it funny how this ALWAYS comes up and funny enough, normally the business guys are right (like Orlando)
Austin hasn't set their ticket prices yet. If they really do have much greater demand than supply, that would give them pricing power. If they were previously planning an average price of $40 or whatever, they can go higher and collect the same revenue as a bigger stadium (at least from tickets) while maintaining scarcity and buzz.
Agreed, but you used the wrong example kinda sorta. Orlando did alter their design and increase capacity after the team began play at the Citrus Bowl.