Ummmm...no. This league has a salary cap. Even if Toronto could use it's money to attract better players, as it stands MLS rules only permit 1 designated player, and as we all see with the Galaxy, that doesnt guarantee any success whatsoever. This is a North American league where parity is prioritized over quality. In the supporters section, ya, definitely. But you see the empty seats throughout the rest of the stadium. 95-99% renewal rate is very optimistic, even with any spill over 'Beckham effect' due to his not playing this season.
So I guess you assume that the salary cap will never get larger, the stadium will never expand/upgrade, or that DP slots will never increase? You need capitol to make those things pan out. You don't go into, say Rona with no money and nothing to show that you'll have money soon (credit) and hope to remodel your home, do you? And please don't mention how much they already have, because this is a separate entity and it needs to be stable on it's own before they're willing to toss money at it. Right now, at $285 non-renewal price (supporters section like you want), you're paying $16.76 per game ($258 by 17 games). Last year people purchasing individual tickets paid $15 or $30 dollars (season tickets were $250 by 17 games = $13.24). Yeah, I can see the rip off here. Stop complaining and get your name off the waiting list. In time the prices will increase again and you'll only be more pissed off. The best way to not be pissed off is not to pay (which at the moment you aren't, why are you pissed off again?). It's not like the tickets are heating for your home, it's entertainment and you can watch it on CBC/SportsNet/the Score without buying tickets. Heck, the CBC is free, you get it over the air, you don't even need to pay for cable/satellite to watch some games. Come back to reality and realize that the increase was obvious after 14K season tickets were sold and when every game was sold out so early in the season.
Umm, why are people shocked? The initial pricing was "forgiving" given the fact that they had no clue how popular it'd get, now it's time to see a more business minded price that is still reasonable. C'mon, supporters seats went from $200 to $228, is that really worth whinning about? I'll glady take your seasons tickets off of you. =)
Obviously I know this. I realize we are arguing but dont assume i'm a moron. didn't assume that, not my intention to make you think that. comment was made to eliminate any joking around or sarcasm. MLSE has every right in the world to charge whatever the market will bear. true, but the whole point of this thread was to challenge this notion, to argue the fact that they did raise the price. After one season of box-offce success though, I really think they are jumping the gun on price increases. your personal opinion on the topic, and you have the right to that. Tickets are in demand because of the atmosphere at the stadium. Not because of the product on the pitch. doesn't really matter what is bringing in the crowd. product on the field, scotched eggs, streamer throwings, doesn't matter. business is business and the demand is there, the product is "hot". If BMO Field prices all of it's supporters out of stadium and as you suggest, 'raise prices till only X people can afford' dont be surprised when those X people decide not to come back because the game ended in a scoreless draw and the supporters section has scaled back to a couple rows of loudmouthed old men. if X amount leaves and replaced by Y, then what does any business care? 10 tickets to sell, 10 sold. Lots of people cant get platinum seats at the ACC because they are too expensive, but the tickets still sell, and those who can't afford them still watch the game on TV and buy the jerseys. IMO this is an ill advised business move by MLSE that will serve to hurt them in the long run. Theyre obviously free to run their business venture however they see fit. I just dont think it is the best strategy. MLSE know what they are doing (from a business perspective). The product is hot, so sell it. You have a limited supply of tickets, so jack the price. If/when there are empty seats, then MLSE will be at the point to decide to drop the price or suffer the loss. They aren't at that point yet, so price increase it is. Boy you two love your free market capitalism though. I guess im just a bleeding heart romantic, but I think MLSE owes something to the fans who have turned their uncertain gamble into a rousing success. It's not that I love it or hate it. I really haven't taken a side at all on the situation. I'm just stating facts that I think you already know, but just don't like. Nobody likes a price increase. Ultimately a lot of people are reacting to your comments, but the bigger picture is what this thread is about, to challenge the price increase. I personally don't feel the increase was unexpected, drastically high, or unjustified. A couple of people want to lynch MLSE for the increase and create some type of uproar. I think it is very poor timing for that.
it's not that we like or dislike MLSE. The post is about protesting the price increase. That, imo, is wrong, and why the thread has done well. It is just not the right timing. It is the first price increase that they have done for TFC. The first, and we need to take a stand? Tickets are still cheap. Tickets still fall into a decent range from our best to worst seats. To take a stand and challenge the price increase at this point "just because", seems poor, seems teenager like. It's like we don't know how to pick our fights, it seems immature. Why go after MLSE "just because"? Wait for a few consecutive years of increases. If what is being offered stays the same (or decreases), and demand stays constant, then challenge why they constantly raise prices. Year one, not even done, and some are suggesting taking a stand about a (relatively) minimal price increase. Not the proper way to go about business.
It's fine to be unhappy with a price increase - that's your choice. But why do people expect the supporters clubs to do their dirty work for them? If you have a problem with the price increase write a letter to MLSE, or lead your own protest.
I agree 100% with Mississauga on this one. If the increases continue for the next few years then you have right to complain and "make a stand". But as of now, they increased it marginally, you're getting an academy next season...did you want the prices to drop? Get a frikken grip people.
People can gripe all they want here, that fact is MLSE is controlled by the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund. Like all other MLSE clubs, large profits come first. The price increases are a done deal, I just hope they dont push ahead with their favorite cash cow: Seat Licenses
WHat a bunch of babies you all are. Crying about ticket prices. Seats are chaep and affordable. Thats the reality. All the pissing and moaning I read is pitiful. What does not go up in life.. MLSE need to make money and with a sold out park it can and should raise prices to the proper level. This years prices are a steal. Support your team and dont bitch about a reality. Prices go up.
My hope that the seat licenses never happen, because MLSE doesn't own BMO Field, and that somehow prevents the club from "selling the seat"
Thats not the case at all. You speak of profit as if it is evil. They need to make money or you wont have a team. If you belive the tickets are to expensive, dont buy them. But please stop your anti MLSE rants. Thank God for them. WIthout them no team no stadium, You would have the Lynx to cheer for.
your comments sound dangerously like some j***a** that was on here and was red carded (good riddance 1TOFC). he used the words "babies" and "crying" waaaaaaay too much. why would you come onto a forum to name call? stick to business, and leave the name calling for the 8 year olds on the school yard.
I love how this has already been gone over in multiple threads. I would just like to point out that tickets to Portsmouth FC (premiership), their most expensive tickets are only $10CDN more expensive than our most expensive seats, and there stadium holds only 200 people more than BMO field. Don't you think before TFC raises prices, they should give us a little more bang for our buck?
To start off I think you and I agree to disagree on this here and in the other thread To your point above - ticket comparisons to EPL sides who receive a substantial portion of their revenue from TV contracts (~C$60MM) are not an apples to apples comparison in this case and therefore do not reflect the bang for the buck as the EPL side doesn't need to rely as heavily on their gate receipts as a MLS side does. To take it a step further I do have a problem with increases to ticket prices year over year that are anything more than matching inflation - this will play out in the coming years depending on whether the team increases its ticket prices to capture a larger and larger revenue stream from ticket sales. To be honest - I will agree with a lot of the negative sentiments down the road if they play out to the script (yearly increases, combined with mediocre on-field product) but I'm not going to jump to conclusions based on this year's increase as there are a number of initial expenditures (franchise fee, youth academy) that make this increase palatable. I think TFC has made a calculated move to capitalize on the demand here - though not necessarily for profit more to gauge the potential of the soccer market in Toronto - which will be reflected in renewal rates and the subsequent length of the season ticket waiting list.
those that dont like it are just trying to "nip it in the bud" and tell MLSE that we wont accept it year after year, or atleast that is my standpoint.
When milk goes up, gas goes up do you protest. tickets go up once a year. Everyday life items go up many times in a year. Do you protest them. or is this just more MLSE bashing?
Isn't the Canadian way to bitch about stuff, but do nothing about it? Canadians always bitch about gas prices when they go up, but its not like we stop driving our big gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. The roads are still littered with these vehicles. Its the same when they threaten to raise electricity rates. The whining about the ticket increases is similar. People will bitch at first, suck it up, and go on with their lives. This is pretty much why no real political change will ever happen in this country. We are a country full of back seat drivers, but nobody wants to do any real work to affect real change. That would take way too much work. And the people that do go out and try to change things (protesters, consumer advocacy groups, unions, etc.) get laughed at by the general public. I think there is a similarity between the way people react to both issues. In the end, Toronto FC is part of my entertainment budget. At the moment, I feel like I am getting good value for what I am spending. But, if the day ever comes that I feel like I'm being ripped off, I will get rid of my tickets. I won't bitch about it, but still give MLSE/TFC my money. But for the time being, I am happy with what I am getting.
milk is an essential part of life. How much has the price of milk risen in recent years? It hasnt risen much in my whole life. However, if it becomes too expensive, their are alternatives (water, juice, goat milk) we can use, so the price stays relatively low. Gasoline on the other hand is in high demand and in short supply, and cannot be substituted, no not even fairy dust will cut it, so the price increases. Toronto FC tickets however are a luxury commodity, a downturn in the economy will see less people able to spend on things like TFC tix or their 50th pair of shoes. If you don't have as much money to spend and u have to choose between food or TFC tix, what will you choose? the answering is blinding. Something tells me that you are just starting highschool, maybe it's: your horrendous grammar all your posts are (so far) aggressive trolls your lack of basic Grade 10/11 economics
You should choose something other than milk to make your argument. Milk pricing is artificially fixed by the government. Essentially a government run/sanctioned monopoly. No dairy farmer in Canada can sell their milk directly to anyone. We arguably have artificially high milk prices. Macleans has an article about it online. In any case, return to your pointless debates! Cheers!
I am a big opponent to MLSE business tactics overall, however, after taking a breath and looking at the overall increase I cant say im surprised and Im not really that pissed about it...and im not in a $200 seat, im in a $1100 seat so im not talking about a measely $28 increase, mine is a couple of hundred. Look whats done is done. Break it down anyway you want, add the allstar game, remove the allstar game, 15 games plus friendlies , 16 games plus friendlies...doesnt matter. What does matter is that we have increased the demand value of the product and it only makes sense from a business point of view to take advantage of that while you can. It will level out eventually when demand no longer exceeds supply..that can come in several forms..ie..waiting list decrease, stadium expansion..whatever. Whose to say, maybe last year MLSE underpriced the value and as a result they got 14000 season tix holders (ie. people that for whatever reason saw the value in buying, possibly price related, possibly soccer fan related, probably a bit of both). I think most people thinking a 95% renewal rate is a bit high...I suspect you get close to 100% in the supporter sections based on a $228 price tag, but as you go higher you may see people turning away...overall I suspect probably 85% renewal...meaning some 2000 seats becoming available. They will be sold im 100% confident but that relieves some demand and it goes from there. Having finally backed MLSE on something I still remain cautious about the future. I suppose that price increases will level at some point and argued that here, but as far as decreases go...thats a different story. I have no evidence that MLSE has price adjusted downwards on any of their entities as the demand decreased (ie. Raptors, AND biggest culprit the Marlies...Marlie sell less than 1000 seats a game or something like that, at ridiculous prices, and the evidence to lower prices to get more people in the seats just isnt there. I mean its a money losing proposition anyway funded by the Leaf org. so would you rather have 1000 seats at over $25 average or maybe 4000-5000 people in there at $10 average per person.) So I figure at some point a 0% increase or marginal but I'll never anticipate or expect a price decrease for TFC
Exactly. Obvuiously the difference between this seasons and next seasons prices isnt that big. But 2 more off seasons of similar increases and were getting dangerously close to Leafs and Raptors ticket territory. This increase is perfectly acceptable, but MLSE needs to be made aware that the fans arent going to pay whatever they feel like charging.