Premium tickets going fastest thus far at new Crew Stadium
A pandemic that restricts in-person interaction has handicapped the Crew's original plans for marketing a modern $313.9 million downtown stadium and is likely having some subsequent effect on overall ticket sales.
But the Crew is pointing to its success in season ticket sales for premium seating and the Nordecke supporters' section as proof of a swell of community support for the Crew, four months before the stadium's opening in July.
The Crew released a pricing tool and allowed fans to buy season tickets directly online for the first time in club history on Feb. 24. Chief business officer Steve Lyons said the club has seen a solid bump in sales, mostly in the premium spaces.
Already having sold out four of its seven premium spaces — which make up 11% of the stadium's 20,000-seat capacity compared to 1% at old Crew Stadium — the Crew expects the field club, river club and rail club to sell out, as well as the Nordecke, which has a capacity of 3,356 safe-standing seats with two standing-room terraces.
"Both of the premium locations — the field club, the river club and the rail club — they're trending in the same direction of the ones that are already sold out,” Lyons said. “We're pleased with how those sections are being responded to.”
Lyons said the club has added corporate partners who are buying premium areas, which have attracted former general-seating fans as well. Premium seats range from $2,550 to $6,500 per person.
For overall ticket sales and sales in general seating areas, the Crew is less gung-ho, but specifics are unknown.
The Crew did not provide any data on overall season ticket sales for the 2021 or 2020 seasons, or any specific areas within the new stadium. Lyons wouldn't say what a realistic number was for ticket sales this season or how close the Crew was to meeting an unspecified internal goal.
"I think (season ticket sales are) pacing in a way that we expected it would in terms of where we are, but again, we would like to continue to grow the fanbase and continue to tell our story to a whole new legion of soccer fans,” Lyons said.
The Crew — and sports franchises in general — are up against fans having varying degrees of comfortability going to a game, fans under different financial stress than a year ago, and fans who don't know how many games they'll
even be able to go to with likely capacity restrictions.
Lyons said factors such as those have made an impact. It's worth considering season tickets became available to the general public in October, multiple months before vaccines were approved and people could begin to more accurately envision what life might look like when the stadium opens.
“We've always approached it this way — to be really successful in our new stadium, we have to continue to grow our fanbase and be attractive to not just the fanatical sports fan, but also the casual sports fan,” Lyons said. “I think things like the online portal connected to the stadium, being able to showcase our stadium to a broader set of consumers is going to help us continue to grow the fan base."
The Crew has converted about 80% of 2020 season ticket members into 2021 season ticket holders. Lyons said the club is pleased with that number, meaning the club likely expected some fans not to renew due to several factors, one potentially being a significant increase in price.
An analysis of the cheapest season ticket prices outside supporters' sections by the Charlotte Observer showed the Crew had the second-highest ticket cost per game in MLS in 2021. When asked if the club is asking fans to pay too much, Lyons said the club is “delivering a value proposition to a community asset.”
“When we work through what were the two most commonly requested items for the new stadium — and that's to win championships and to create an elevated experience — I think value proposition for what the new stadium will deliver and the unrivaled experience in the new stadium, I think the response has been met with that it's an investment of value,” Lyons said.
Lyons said the Crew has no plans to use any ticketing model that has fans pay a fee to reserve a seat on top of the season ticket price, commonly referred to as a “personal seat license.”
The Crew has been more active in selling premium areas and the Nordecke than general seating sections, which range from $625 to $1,400 compared to $450 for Nordecke tickets.
Not yet being able to use a Downtown experience center or stadium tours to show new fans what the new stadium experience will be has made the sales pitch more difficult in some areas. For premium sales, Lyons said that's a reflection of partners and fans believing the club will deliver on fan experience and having a winning team.
"Our goal is to get as many people into the new stadium as possible because we believe once you're in there, once you experience it,” Lyons said, “then you're going to want to keep coming back." jmyers@dispatch.com @_jcmyers