Bucs Make Blackout-Buster Move
January 18th, 2011
In a significant move to ramp up season ticket sales, Team Glazer has signed off on cheaper prices and discounted parking and food for season ticket holders.
The Bucs announced the move today and posted all the new deals on their website. Team Glazer says it’s responding to their beloved throngs of Bucs lovers.
“Our organization has spent a lot of time listening to our fans at this time when our team is thriving and our economy is not. As a result, we are now offering several pricing changes in response to our community’s needs,” said Buccaneers Co-Chairman Joel Glazer in a release issued by the team.
Part of the new pricing is a slashing of youth seats in the upper deck on the east side of the stadium. Kids tickets are now half the price of their adult counterparts. The cheapest seats remain at $35 ($17.50 now for kids), and better ones nearby were cut considerably down to $52 and $26 for kids (medium blue in the image).
The excuse that you can’t get a decent seat at a reasonble price is now out the window. A father and son, for example, can now sit on the 50 yard line in the upper deck — and park — for less than $100 a game.
Joe’s been informed that the Bucs’ monthly payment plans apply to all season tickets. So the regular guy who just wants to get into the games can cut back on the pornography and midnight fast-food runs and use the savings to pay the Bucs monthly.
At this point, Joe’s not sure what else Team Glazer can do — beyond significant cuts to single-game pricing — and still remain intelligent businessmen. The Bucs are coming off a 10-6 season and they’ve got big time firepower in the offense, plus a great home schedule and the economy has improved.
It will be a truly sad day if the 2011 home opener is blacked out.
January 18th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
This is good news. Hey Joe, maybe next year you keep the bus rolling even without the black outs. One of you could take the crowd that can not handle the game to a local sports bar, and the other Joe can ride a bus to the game.
January 18th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Amen to that Joe,
Hopefully our fanbase won’t come up with anymore excuses like “I just don’t like our owners” for example.
January 18th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
The Glazers are trying, now it’s the fans turn to repay in kind…try.
January 18th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
I spent $1204 on four season tickets last year (two youth), and those same tickets will now only cost me $1054 this year. And some great home games to boot. My seats are upper deck corner and I love the angle and view.
January 18th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
“It will be a truly sad day if the 2011 home opener is blacked out.”
Joe, even worse. What if the opener is locked out?
January 18th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Joe wrote, “So the regular guy who just wants to get into the games can cut back on the pornography and midnight fast-food runs and use the savings to pay the Bucs monthly.”
Boy do you know how to hit below the belt Joe!
January 18th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
I am not one to defend the apathetic fans but the key to avoiding the sellouts is going to be individual game tickets getting discounted, IMO. Too many upper level seats costing close to $100.
Hopefully, the season tickets discount gets the games sold out. But I’m skeptical.
January 18th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Wow Joe that’s good news but I can’t purchase tickets because I just don’t like the owners! 😀
January 18th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
BTW, does anybody still pay for pornography?
January 18th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
And the Bucs are allowing 10 month payment plans. So fans don’t have to out;ay a ton of money ay once. $35 per month for 10 months to get a season ticket… Pretty good!
January 18th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
I blacked-out at a game once! And, the owners still hate me!
January 18th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Thats incredible! I don’t even live in Tampa! You don’t like the owners so your not going to the games? Grow up….
January 18th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
People will still find excuses. You would think its the great depression all over again the way people used the economy as an excuse. There is far too much money in the bay area for games to continue to be blacked out due to the economy. Its all about the bandwagon jumpers. When the veteran purge happened the last of them jumped off. But with guys like Freeman, Blount, Williams and Benn, what exactly are they waiting for to jump back on??? If people could get behind this team when Trent freaking Dilfer was the QB just because the defense had some studs, it boggles my mind that the explosive offensive weapons the Bucs have now aren’t making the Bucs a fashionable team to root for again. I mean the vast majority of fans like exciting offense more than defense and it just doesnt really get more exciting than Freeman and blount right now. Hopefully this offseason support for this team will start to gel. I certainly know that the national media will do its part as I fully expect the Bucs to be most talking heads vogue pick for “darkhorse contender” next year.
January 18th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Who cares.
This could be an imposter Buc You. Joe will monitor …
January 18th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Lol look who’s back
January 18th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Bucswin wrote, “BTW, does anybody still pay for pornography?”
Does being married count? ;D
January 18th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Hey Charged please read post #2 – then insert some sarcasm…. GEEZ!!!
January 18th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
gitarlvr – my take on bandwagon fans is this (because I work with two) certain fans really need to IDENTIFY with players before forking out $ for tickets/shirts…
The current crop of Buc’s players NEED to get more involved with their fans. GMC is a great example. Freeman has the looks and leadership skills. I really, really hope that Mike Williams rises up to the leve of Kellen Winslow – especially after watching how professional MW behaved in light of the false arrest.
During the sellout era – fans went to see Allstot, Brooks, Sapp, Joe Juriviscous and Lynch. Tampa needs those type of PERSONALITIES to rise up again.
January 18th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
According to Ira there’s no point in going. History says the Bucs won’t be good this year. So why waste the money. I’m a season ticket holder by the way.
January 18th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
It’s really easy to call the papers and tell them that we are sick of their negative, hack writers. I did, and told them I would not renew my subscription due to the poor sports reporting. Only took a sec, and at least seemed to get someones attention. I too am sick of the endless negative Buc Reporting. I urge you guys to take 5 mins and do the same. Meybe our local writers think we all we want is negativity. We should voice our opinions.
January 18th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
“I blacked-out at a game once! And, the owners still hate me!”
I knew those words would be spoken, just not in that order.
January 18th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
I give them kudos…. BUT… I still find the stupidity of all these so-called smart billionaire sports team owners to be astonishing.
For the last 10 years the average salary has been damn near stagnant.
Meanwhile, sports team owners continued to hike up player salaries by 5-10% per year and jack up ticket prices by over 100% on average in the last decade.
Now all of sudden they feel our pain…..
Good thing I love football. I will go to one game with friends and one with my son, but I will NEVER buy season tickets again.
January 18th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Joe — do you think they might do something similar with game day tickets? I would think game day tickets would have more of an impact, at least for certain games.
January 18th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I believe pornhub.com already cut my porn cost, any other corners to cut Joe???
January 18th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Lucas:
Doubtful. Bucs are trying to sell season tickets.
January 19th, 2011 at 12:45 am
they didn’t cut my ticket $$ – at least not on the online invoice…. I’ll hope for good news and call tomorrow !!
January 19th, 2011 at 12:50 am
Many of these Young Bucs at times are as good as any players I’ve seen. Josh Freeman, Mike Williams, K2, Benn.
Who is your favorite QB in the National Football League?
Josh Freeman!
Hello
January 19th, 2011 at 12:59 am
My tickets went from $85 to $79, but I’m on the west side at the 40. No complaints there, but if parking $$ dropped = way cool.
But these refs effin suck. I’m sick and tired of watching my team get screwed over by the refs time and again. This is BS. We pay good hardass earned mf’in money to watch our team. Get these calls right or review them, you stupid incompetent moro(NFL)s.
Is it a prerequisite that you have to be 85 yrs old and blind to be a ref in the NFL???
January 19th, 2011 at 1:13 am
i don’t have a parking pass… gotta get one i’m in 120
January 19th, 2011 at 1:15 am
yeah, bigmac…. no freakin letter helped us get to Playoffs. BullSpit
January 19th, 2011 at 1:51 am
I tip my hat to the Glazers anything helps. I guess Im the only sap out here who’s health insurance went up 30%, homeowners insurance I dont even want to talk about, gasoline $3.09 a gallon and no pay raise for the last three years. I think the Glazers are doing their best, but Im still out 🙁
January 19th, 2011 at 8:12 am
Derf- Thats the thing. Freeman, Blount, Williams and Benn are already far more exciting to watch than Sapp, Brooks, and Lynch. You can call it blasphemy if you want but I don’t miss the days of watching the Bucs win 13-7, trading 3 and outs with the opposing team all day long.
January 19th, 2011 at 8:24 am
This is the best news I have heard from the Glazers in a loooooooong time. It may be time to re-think my season tix.
January 19th, 2011 at 9:43 am
“A father and son, for example, can now sit on the 50 yard line in the upper deck — and park — for less than $100 a game.”
That’s still too much!!! Needs to be more like $35-$40! People are poor these days, remember?
sheesh…..
January 19th, 2011 at 9:56 am
Again, Glazer’s greed blinding their common sense.
How about lowering the inflated prices for LOYAL season ticket holders. Oh, that’s right, our ticket invoices have conveniently already been sent to us. Instead of rewarding the real fans in the club and lower bowl, they try to lure new folks in and announce to the world what great humanitarians they are. We are the backbone of their business and as usual are getting taken for granted. Don’t be fooled, the only thing the Glazers are doing, is P.R.
January 19th, 2011 at 10:15 am
MVP,
The owners hate me, so I blacked-out at a game once!
Eh, doesn’t have that same humorous effect, I was looking for!
January 19th, 2011 at 10:26 am
gbuc,
Get a clue buddy. Just because you have the money to buy tickets in the club level or lower bowl doesn’t make you any more of a real fan than somone who makes $30,000 a year and can’t afford tickets to a game.
If you don’t like the prices for your seats them don’t buy them.
January 19th, 2011 at 10:40 am
D-Money has a point, and it is typical buysiness practice. You give the breaks to new customers or returning customers. When was the last time your cable bill just went down for no reason, or they decided to throw in HBO for 6 months? Ony to the new guys and the returning guys. Deal with it.
January 19th, 2011 at 10:54 am
I not only have a clue d-money, but I have real investment in the team. Don’t fall into the class warfare trap. I’m just a working guy who saves my money all year long to go to the games for the love of the football experience. (Tailgating with the fellas, the honnies, and the hitting) I’m not able to just stop getting my season tickets. Unlike someone who right now walks off the street and buys a season ticket, when I got season tickets, I had to pay a deposit equal to the amount I paid for those tickets. (double) If I opt out of my ticket now, I lose my deposit. What makes me any less deserving of a break on the price of my ticket?
January 19th, 2011 at 11:06 am
The real fans will make it there some way or another. Bottom line.
January 19th, 2011 at 11:10 am
GBuc- you’re right. Hopefully they can do something for the loyal fanbase ( Parking, concessions, etc.)
January 19th, 2011 at 11:17 am
espo,
“The real fans will make it there some way or another.”
I know you’re partial to convenient stores, but dammit, H.I., the sun doesn’t rise and set on the corner grocery.
We need someone handy with a scatter gun to cover them hayseeds while we go in there and get that cash!
January 19th, 2011 at 11:56 am
gbuc,
I don’t know what class warfare trap your talking about. I’m just saying that you are not more of a true fan because you buy tickets in the lower section of the stadium.
There are many reasons why people can’t make it to the games the biggest complaint being that tickets were to expensive for people with lower incomes. The Glazers are trying to do something about it by taking that excuse away.
Lowering the tickets prices in the club level will not help increase season ticket sales or eliminate blackouts.
January 19th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Wait a minute guys. The cost of these seats is a supply and demand issue. Typically experienced Ray Jay fans want to sit on the west side because of the Sun. They have given some small breaks to ticket holders in the upper level to be fair. The lower west side is the prime that most fans covet, so I would look for few if any breaks there. Those seats aren’t so hard to sell. I think what the Glazers are trying to do is a gesture to the entire area so the games will be televised. I mean $17.50 for kids is so cool.
I have advocated numerous times in the past, on my surveys to the Bucs that they should build covers over the east and west sides like the Quest Field in Seattle. If they put enough pitch on the west side, most of the east would be blocked from the sun, making those east seats much more desirable. It would also greatly increase to noise effects from the fans onto the field as Quest does.
I would recommend that for those who don’t have season tickets, find the night games if we get them(hopefully) and buy those east side tickets at a discount quickly because the sun is no issue. I for one enjoy the preseason games because they are at night and we get to watch the noobs play. It’s all good except for no free parking. It cost us $5 to park at the Lightning game last night. Stamkos is awesome. We paid $35 for lower level seats. Talk about reasonable.