US College football team the California Golden Bears have launched a new six-game pay-as-you-go ticket subscription plan in a bid to boost attendances.
The athletics department at University of California, Berkley unveiled its six-game ‘March to Victory’ Pass that will cost either $149 (£117/€131) or $299 depending on seat location at the 63,000-capacity Memorial Stadium.
The first category, called the basic pass, assures reserved seats in either the corner or the end zone of the stadium, while the premium option guarantees non-club seats between the goal lines. Fans would save between $100 and $300 per ticket versus those purchased in the traditional manner.
The seat location will not be the same for all six games and tickets will be sent to the buyer’s smart phones 48 hours prior to kickoff.
“We are always listening to our fans and what they are looking for in the ticket-buying process,” said David Kao, assistant AD for ticket sales, service and operations. “It is important that we provide this type of modern and creative ticket-buying experience as a convenient way for fans to attend our events.
“This ticketing experience is completely mobile and allows for last-minute ticket delivery, while different seat locations for every game provides fans different perspectives to enjoy the game.
“I truly believe this is the future of ticket-buying. As technology continues to advance, mobile ticketing along with pay-as-you-go subscriptions will be the future of sports ticketing.
“Data shows that most of our non-season ticket game goers buy last-minute, whether it’s through us or a secondary market like Stubhub. Therefore why not provide a product that meets the buying trend while guaranteeing our fans the best seats available without having to shop and compare prices online.”
Kao added that he sees the university’s ticketing eventually converting to a monthly membership fee or subscription based model.
The Golden Bears’ poor attendance at Memorial Stadium has reportedly stemmed from poor performance, inconsistent starting times, which are often only announced six days prior to kick off, as well as more night games, which impact fans travelling from afar.
Last year, the American football team averaged 42,871 fans each game, which is an increase from 2017’s figure of 36,451. Figures have dropped slowly since the team’s attendance peak in 2006 when it averaged 64,318 per game.
Image: Yulianto Glorio
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