BIG TICKET
The high price for some Grey Cup tickets generated social media outrage, but Argos say fans haven’t had an issue,
Twitter fingers got a workout last week when the Toronto Argonauts revealed their Grey Cup ticket prices to their season ticket holders. Three days into selling tickets, though, the process has been a smooth one, according to Sara Moore, the team’s senior VP of business operations who is doubling as the chief operating officer of the Grey Cup.
With prices ranging from $169 to $899 for seats at the 104th edition of the CFL’s championship game, fans were vocal on Twitter over what they’d have to pay to see the game. Moore said that reaction hasn’t carried over this week as the club opened up the seats of BMO Field to its season-ticket holders, who have been offered two seats at the Grey Cup for every ticket they’ve purchased.
“There haven’t been (negative reactions to pricing). We’ve confirmed the pricing and we’ve moved them into their seats. It really hasn’t been a big topic of conversation,” Moore said. “I think some people wanted clarification. I think we were overgeneralizing some of the pricing. I think at one point I was quoted as saying 50 per cent of the seats were under $300 and it’s actually 41 per cent. Stuff like that.
“We had to clarify that there are almost 8,000 seats going into the south end (of BMO Field). It actually represents a fairly significant amount — 23 per cent — of the overall capacity.”
Moore points out that the additional seating that’s going into the stadium should provide a good sightline for the game. BMO Field will hold roughly 35,000 fans for the Nov. 27 game.
“Because the south concourse right now is a pretty low concourse, when we build seats, the first few rows of that section will have better sightlines and will be closer to the field
“We have football fans that love having a field-side seat and that’s why they buy it.” ARGOS VP SARA MOORE ON $899 GREY CUP SEATS
than some of the permanent seats we have,” she said. “Being able to be in those seats for under $200 is great.”
The $899 seats make up two per cent of the volume of the stadium. Moore said that she expects those seats to go to a mix of corporate buyers and super fans.
“Some of the (season-ticket holders) that have them right now use them for business and use them for hosting and entertaining. We certainly expect the people that have them for that reason will do it,” she said. “The same way that some individuals love having a courtside seat at an NBA game, we have football fans that love having a field-side seat and that’s why they buy it.”
Before tickets to the Grey Cup go on sale to the public on August15, they’ll be opened up first to season ticker holders across the CFL on August 10.