BY MICHAEL GARDNER – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Toronto FC fans have known it since day one. They are a team that is built upon grass roots support. Corporate suits don’t fill the stadium, real fans do. This was a team originally marketed to soccer clubs and supporters groups. In fact, much of the marketing has centered around the “atmosphere” created by these grass roots fans. It’s not that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment doesn’t care about winning, it just doesn’t know how to do it. Through the leadership of Tom Anselmi the team has invested in a number of Designated Players. They have put $17 million into Toronto FC Academy and have replaced that ridiculous plastic pitch with a proper grass surface. In fact, Toronto has over $8.3 million tied up in payroll this year which equates to about $1 million per loss delivered this season.
They certainly have no issues in spending money. The problem is that it is our money they are spending and many people are opting out of this investment plan. While some may contend that winning may silence the complaints, I would contend that Toronto FC ticket pricing has reach unsustainable levels relative to the other teams in the league.
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The vast empty seats at BMO are a function of performance but it is also a function of pricing the grass roots fan out of the market. BMO generally sits about 3,000 seats short of capacity each game. The secondary ticket market has all but dried up. Fans have difficulty selling tickets below cost. The once supposedly vast “Waiting List” has virtually dried up with many fans passing on season tickets when offered given the price points available. Viewers on TV can see that Centre Line seats go unsold for additional matches like CONCACAF Champions League. It is no coincidence that these seats have risen to one of the highest in the league.
To give you an idea as to how far out of whack TFC tickets are relative to the league, I took a look at season ticket pricing per game across the league relative to the vantage point of the seat. I then took an average price and compared that with what TFC charges “the most loyal fans in the game.” Given that vantage points and pricing models vary across the league, these numbers are to be taken as generalization. I didn’t bother to include Field Side Tables or other VIP seating as those prices are ridiculous across the board. Lastly, note that while the numbers have not been vetted by an auditor down to the penny, I am presenting them so that we can draw some discussion points from what they suggest.
A TFC fan who has purchased a pair of seats in BMO Field’s “Club” section, which are Centre Line seats with “Club” access behind the players benches, pays $920 more per year than the MLS average.
What does $746 get you? That’s the extra price you pay for a pair of season tickets in center line seats (non-club section) over the average MLS price.
Those sitting off of Centre Line at BMO field (Dark Greys) pay $739 more for a pair of seats than the MLS average.
Those seeking a bargin by moving to the corners will find that if they were in another MLS city, they might pay $494 less for a pair in that vantage point.
The “new” North Stand, once trumpeted as a section for the fans that couldn’t get access has apparently been priced so as to restrict access. It costs $438 more than the MLS average for seats in this section.
And lastly, the Supporters. This is the group that has been used in countless marketing campaigns in order to sell “atmosphere.” What is their special honour? They get to pay $236 more per year for a pair of seats than the average MLS supporter.
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