Featured image credit: Marcus Wallis on Unsplash
Cricket Australia is looking into cutting ticket prices for international matches outside of school holidays to bring back crowds after COVID-19.
According to The Age, cricket organisers are hoping to draw in attendances to match Big Bash League (BBL) levels, with decision-makers agreeing that pricing changes and incentives are needed for future summers.
Adelaide (pictured) is expected to attract roughly 20,000 spectators to each of the first three days of the second Test against the West Indies later this week, but this is in contrast to the slim attendance in Perth for the first Test. Australia’s ODI against England also attracted meagre attendances.
According to the report, a suggestion discussed in recent years was a radical idea centred around making Test match entry free after day one, with the hope that extra spectators would spend more money on food and drinks.
Marketing firm Forethought conducted research in 2013 that suggested the biggest factor in cricket attendance was the cost and other elements including transport, food and beverage prices.
These findings then led to a successful advertising campaign around a cheap family ticket for the BBL.
There is also the discussion surrounding the balance between accessible ticket prices and the money to be made from sales. Cricket fans have lambasted the prices for ‘A Reserve’ seats as opposed to general admission tickets, which usually sell out. In Adelaide, these seats in the Riverbank Stand cost A$115 (£63/$77/€73) and were similar in Perth.
A further argument for cheaper public tickets is that it does not necessarily mean a significant loss of revenue, as a substantial portion of the revenue comes from corporate boxes, which sold well in Perth and are almost sold out for the Test in Adelaide.
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