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CNN Live Today

Some Say Prices We Pay at Ballpark Outrageous

Aired July 12, 2002 - 13:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Some say just as outrageous are the prices that we pay these days at the ballpark. Kurt Hunzeker is a director with Team Marketing Report, which tracks sports and their marketing trends. He's in our Chicago bureau.

Thanks for being with us, Kurt.

KURT HUNZEKER: Not a problem at all.

PHILLIPS: And it's Kurt Hunzeker, am I saying that, right?

HUNZEKER: That's correct.

PHILLIPS: OK, good. I just want to make sure. I never want to say someone's name incorrectly on the air.

Tell us about this report that you did. We had Ceci Rodgers on, our financial reporter from Wrigley Field, about on hour ago, talking about the prices going up. And how did you do this survey, and sort of tell me how it all came together?

HUNZEKER: Beginning of every season, for baseball in March, I surveyed all of the ticket directors or vice presidents of ticket sales for each team, and basically, you know, go right to the teams themselves to find out the cost of each seat in their facility. We break it down per pricing category. So you have your diamond seats, close to the -- right behind home plate, all the way out to the outfield bleachers. And we calculate the average ticket price as, you know, the weighted average of all of the seats inside the facility.

PHILLIPS: So it cost $145 for a family of four to go the ballgame. That's on average.

HUNZEKER: That's on average. That's including -- taking into consideration two average priced tickets for adults, two average priced tickets for children, four hot dogs, sodas, game program, parking. We try to factor in what a typical family would spend just go to a sporting event.

PHILLIPS: So the most expensive, the Boston Red Sox. Really, why are they the most expensive?

HUNZEKER: Boston, you look at the top two, as far as the most expensive family outings, the Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs. The one very glaring thing that they have in common is they have very old stadiums. They can't generate the revenues a lot of the new ballparks can with increased luxury suites, really high class, with great amenities, club level sections, I mean, concourses.

There are so many places in Minute Maid Park and Pac Bell Park in San Francisco that there is plenty of spaces they can bring in sponsors to either throw their logo up or have a kiosk to interact with their fans. And Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, they don't have it, because it's an old ballpark. That's why you see all of the teams out there, like the St. Louis Cardinals, trying to get a new stadium, because they are trying to keep up with new ballparks and they are trying to keep up with the big city boys, like the Yankees and the Mets.

PHILLIPS: And second highest, Seattle Mariners, also the Chicago Cubs. We talked about Wrigley. And San Diego Padres. That sort of surprised me. That's where I grew up. It has always been pretty reasonable. I haven't been in a while. But why is that? Because of all the changes they made to the stadium.

HUNZEKER: San Diego Padres really have not increased tickets so much in the past five years. So, I mean, it's almost like a mark of correction. They have been probably one of the most affordable, and they still are, just because they had an over 10 percent increase doesn't mean that their tickets are outrageously high.

PHILLIPS: Who didn't change? I'm looking at Kansas City Royals. They're the good guys here.

HUNZEKER: The Royals actually decreased tickets the most. A lot of their seats were -- they had general admission seats that were counted as season tickets, and they took those out, but across the board for Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City, they certainly did increase the amount of per ticket, even $1 to $3. I mean, he had 10 ballparks this year that didn't increase prices, and four that actually either decreased or changed the capacities of some of their seating categories.

Take for instance, Atlanta, Turner Field, some seating categories that, say, for example, $24, they lowered to 18, or else they shifted seats from the $24 section to the $18 section.

PHILLIPS: Kurt, I have to say, that's one advantage about working with CNN and Ted Turner being around this place, you get good seats at the Braves games, so I can't complain about that.

All right, Kurt Hunzeker, thank you so much.

HUNZEKER: Not a problem.

PHILLIPS: And what do you think, I guess we should try and sneak in our beers and our dogs next time we go to the game.

HUNZEKER: Well, you know, people are going to buy them anyway, so it's like the closest thing baseball has to a monopoly.

PHILLIPS: Maybe next time you can survey the best dog. I got to tell you, L.A. has got a pretty good hot dog there at Dodger Stadium.

HUNZEKER: I will vouch for the Chicago White Sox. Go up to Cominskey Park and try one of their hot dogs, and you might change your mind.

PHILLIPS: All right, I'll do that. Thank you so much.

HUNZEKER: Not a problem. Thank you.

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