The most successful franchise has a STH waitlist and accounts for over 35% of total attendance for the league. They could hold off on season tickets until the day before the season and would be perfectly fine. Bogus comparison. All the other teams needs to "strike while the iron is hot", as it were. If they wait too late, they won't have the momentum of the season helping them sell season tickets. If your fans are interested now and are likely to lose interest over a relatively long offseason compared to other leagues/sports, you need to sell now and get people on those mailing lists so they stay connected during the offseason.
You may be right, but you may not be right. You don't know, nor do I. The Thorns -- as distinguished from the Timbers -- do not have a STH wait list that I know of. They could try to sell season tickets now, but they won't and it wouldn't seem professional if they did. I know some teams are trying to sell season tickets now. Maybe next year, let's compare season ticket sales increases by team in relation to when their season tickets went on sale. That would give us good evidence based on which to have a discussion. Of course, having that kind of evidence would require season ticket sales information being released by the clubs.
http://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/portland-thorns-fc-season-tickets Ok there's no "wait list" and they aren't selling 2016 yet but.... they sold out 2015 and have a priority list for 2016. Semantics.
They sold out their season ticket capacity for 2015? And have a season ticket priority list for 2016? I see where you got that, but I don't believe it. Providence Park holds 21,000+, and the Thorns have had one sell-out. I believe there's an artificial cap on season tickets and that they're creating a sense of scarcity that will impel people to buy more season tickets next year.
I do not know of a successful professional sports team that varies its season ticket marketing dates from year to year. Why create the impression that "We want you to buy season tickets now because if you wait until the time we normally sell them, you won't want them any more"?
I'm pretty sure that most NWSL start selling in this late-season-early-offseason window anyway. My memory may be off, though. The argument of not letting things go stale during the offseason is one that's been stated each offseason on these boards so far already, so it's not something I've made up.
Good point, they certainly shouldn't wait until things are stale. I'm just questioning those expressing strong criticisms because teams aren't starting season ticket drives in mid-season.
Well of course there's an artificial cap on season tickets! You never want to sell your entire stadium to STHs. That basically forbids walk-ups, even knowing that not all STHs show up to every game. Selling your entire stadium to STHs is a great way to shoot yourself in the foot.
Well, it's not really "mid"-season anymore - there are only four weeks left before the playoffs. Also, there's a little bit more pressure this year to ride the wave of the WWC, I think. If you have something important like season tickets to sell, you want to start doing so (or, like Seattle, at least taking deposits) while you have the most eyes on the league as possible.
Of course that's true, but their season tickets sold are in the range of 13,000. I'll bet you the Timbers season tickets sold aren't in the range of 13,000. There are 8,000 more seats to fill, so there's room for additional season tickets to be sold without getting into the problem you're describing.
I think this is the normal time, getting toward the end of the season, not at all unusual and certainly not what I deem unprofessional. Aggressive maybe but more likely just normal. Why wouldn't you try to sell/promote them when interest is at a high point? Like the Thorns and other teams are doing? So far as creating an impression, I don't agree they are creating anything, just recognizing and reacting to reality.
There's a difference between promoting your team and selling season tickets. Of course, promote now. But the Thorns selling season tickets now? That's news to me. Nobody's contacted me about renewing my season tickets. And I haven't seen anything about new season tickets being sold for next year. Do you know something about the Thorns that I don't? I'm all for teams selling tons of season tickets. I just don't think it's right to criticize a team that isn't marketing season tickets yet. They have their plans and time frames that they think will work. I honestly would rather see them marketing what a good product they have and keeping their season ticket sales mechanics on a thought-out-in-advance schedule.
Just going by this on the website: Join the 2016 priority list TODAY! To reserve your Thorns FC seat deposits: Call (503) 553-5555 Email ticketsales@timbers.com
Kinda like with what I mentioned about Seattle earlier, "deposits" are different than selling the tickets themselves, but I guess that's semantics. Either way, you're getting mailing lists set up and getting fans (literally) invested in next season already.
I don't see the strong criticism, just a post asking if anyone knew when they were going to start, and hoping they didn't miss out on a good opportunity.
LAFC is already taking deposits for season tickets and they don't start play until 2018... So if MLS can do it, I don't see why the NWSL can't.
I'm being too grumpy. Seattle is owned, if I recall correctly, by a marketing group. They're marketing season tickets now. I'm willing to assume they know what they're doing.
Yeah... just asking. Still no news. That's all I want really. My wife keeps asking me too. It would be nice to get a jump and buy early to make sure we secure them. The SoccerPlex doesn't seat too many and has been having to turn people away, so I really don't want to have to deal with that.
I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more of Caprice Dydasco this year. Assuming that Steph Cox retires after this season, Laura Harvey will need a left back. Hint, hint.
After this season she will need a left back -- Cox, probably the best in the NWSL, has announced her retirement. Maybe Harvey can persuade her to return. If not, she should take a look at Dydasco, who should be cheap to obtain as she hasn't played much this year. Maybe Harvey could trade Brooks, Dallstream, or Foxhoven for Dydasco and maybe a third or fourth round draft choice.
I stand by my previous statement - she's won enough, she doesn't "need" anything, even if she's losing a class starter. Let the team actually have a weak point for once.
Talked with Ashlee Comber, the Spirit's Operations Director, and got the impression that they're not going to start selling season tickets until after the final. I don't know why they're making that choice.