Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia Flyers season opener kicks off Saturday, but single game tickets were released just four days before Philadelphia is set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins at home. Pricing was not leaked beforehand, so when tickets finally went on sale Tuesday morning at 10 AM, it sent some shockwaves through the fan base. To sit in the last row of the upper bowl, it’ll cost you a whopping $83, a $2 increase from last year. If you’d like to sit in the lower bowl and much closer to the ice, you’ll be paying a minimum of $159. Season ticket holders as well, throughout the arena, are seeing an increase in their total cost of nearly $100 per ticket. But Philadelphia seems to be one of the few, if not only team, to have an increase in their pricing.
At Flyers practice Tuesday, Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider sat down with the local media to talk about the upcoming season. When asked about what the team will do for fans, Snider had this to say:
We’re always doing things for the fans and we will continue to do things for the fans.
They have quite the strange way of showing that.
It’s no secret that the Flyers have a profit to turn, like any other team in the NHL. However, this year is certainly not the year to take it out on the fan. However, that’s exactly what Philadelphia has done here. Their fans, who were alienated by a league that essentially told them they don’t matter, are seeing another year of jacked up prices. But fear not, arguably the most popular franchise in Philadelphia has promised to repay the fans.
The Flyers way of thanking the fans? Hold a “free” practice at the Wells Fargo Center. Yet nothing is ever free, as fans will still be paying over the top prices for concessions, among other things.
While Some of these teams have gone above and beyond in their giving, the Flyers tickets continue to soar above and beyond what is considered reasonable. But prices will continue to rise, because Philadelphia is a strong hockey market. No matter the circumstances, fans will shell out unspeakable amounts of money to get their hockey fix at the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia Flyers hockey is a cash cow, and Comcast-Spectacor fully recognizes that.
The Flyers organization is robbing its fans blind. But as long as there is a committed fan base, and there always will be, nothing will stop them from forcing the fans to pay a king’s ransom.
Jake Pavorsky is a contributor for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JakePavorsky.
