Stars cutting prices on best seats
/Andrew's Dallas Stars Page
The Dallas Stars want more people in American Airlines Center and to reach that goal they are cutting some full season ticket prices in the lower bowl for the 2010-11 season.
A total of 5,257 of the best seats in the lower level are affected, including 2,134 seats in the StarsClub Premium section. Those seats will now cost $99. The cost for 1,396 StarsClub Preferred seats will be $99 as well.
In fact, every full season ticket in the building will be $99 or less for the first time since 1998-99, when the team was in Reunion Arena.
The Stars believe that putting people in seats helps the team on the ice, which in turns helps put people in the seats.
"Nothing sells tickets like selling tickets," said Stars president Jeff Cogen. "The team plays better in a full building. If the team is playing better in a full building and they're winning games, it helps you sell tickets. It's that chicken and egg cycle."
And the Stars want to get that cycle humming by building up a season ticket base that has slipped over the years. When the team moved into American Airlines Center in 2001-02 they had almost 15,000 season ticket holders. Now, that number has dropped to just over 11,000.
"Demand and supply are unaligned for the 2009-10 Dallas Stars. We scratch and claw to get that building filled and I think we do a pretty good job of it," said Cogen. "When the building is empty people go, 'This isn't as much fun.' Or they wonder if it's worth it. We scratch and claw to get those bodies in the building and I think we're more successful than some of the other teams that find themselves in the same situation."
The Stars are averaging 17,248 in attendance or about 93 percent capacity, according to the announced figures published by ESPN. They are 16th in attendance league wide and 18th in capacity. Partial plans and discounted tickets are helping with attendance, but the Stars want to make a stronger push for full season tickets.
This is the third phase in the team's plan to reduce season ticket prices. The average season ticket price was $57.02 in 2007-08 and will be 47.21 in 2010-11. In the lower bowl the average price will drop to $79.11 next season compared with 94.56 in 2007-08.
Prices in the upper level, which were reduced in previous season, will remain the same next season. Ticket renewal notices are going via mail next week and will detail the reductions and other benefits available to season ticket holders who renew by March 22.
Here's a look at season ticket prices, not including celebrity glass seats, club seats or suites.
Here's what the prices will look like in
the lower level for 2010-11 and the changes since 2007-08. The
reductions are highlighted in yellow.
| Lower Level | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | Change 07-08 to 10-11 |
| StarsClub Premium (2,134 seats) | $99.00 | $139.00 | $133.00 | $133.00 | down 25.6% |
| StarsClub Preferred (1,396 seats) | $99.00 | $108.00 | $103.00 | $103.00 | down 3.9% |
| StarsClub Luxury Select (798 seats) | $85.00 | $92.00 | $87.00 | $87.00 | down 2.3% |
| StarsClub Luxury (929 seats) | $70.00 | $92.00 | $87.00 | $87.00 | down 19.5% |
| North Plaza (784 seats) | $55.00 | $55.00 | $71.00 | $71.00 | down 22.5% |
| South Plaza Select (932 seats) | $55.00 | $55.00 | $55.00 | $55.00 | no change |
| South Plaza (642 seats) | $40.00 | $40.00 | $55.00 | $55.00 | down 27.3% |
| 7,615 seats | |||||
Here's what the prices will look like in the upper level and the changes since 2007-08.
| Upper Level | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | Change 07-08 to 10-11 |
| Premium Terrace (1,683 seats) | $33.00 | $33.00 | $33.00 | $53.00 | down 37.7% |
| Priority Terrace (2,600 seats) | $21.00 | $21.00 | $21.00 | $33.00 | down 36.4% |
| Terrace (5,010 seats) | $21.00 | $21.00 | $21.00 | $19.00 | $2 increase |
| East Terrace (570 seats) | $13.00 | $13.00 | $13.00 | $11.00 | $2 increase |
| 9,863 seats | |||||
