The Other Side of the Beckham Coin
July 31st, 2007 . 10:46 am . By: Buzz CarrickI been stewing around this idea, and I’m not sure I am siding with it yet… but I at least explored it and was/am tempted. Let me see if I can articulate this… 1. FCD knows that Beckham will draw a massive crowd, perhaps a sell out, without too much effort from FCD. 2. They also believe very little of the crowd will translate into sales of tickets after this one game. Sure FCD may convert a hundred fans or so, but what’s that really in the grand scheme of things. Most of them are buying for the hype, glamor, transcendent icon stuff… not cause they like soccer or FCD. Given the not quite 10k at the previous two SuperLiga games we’re talking anywhere from 15k to 18k tickets just for this game. 3. So how does FCD maximize the benefit to FCD? 4. By making the Beckham show a multi game purchase with higher ticket prices, then sell the small portion left over as single seat at the last minute. I.e. get as much money as you can out of people that only want to see one game. Simple supply and demand. 5. Once it becomes clear it’s very unlikely Beckham will play, don’t stop trying to sell the game. I.e. don’t stop trying to get as much money as you can from people who don’t actually care about the team. So did FCD made a conscious effort to bleed as much cash out of people who don’t give a rat fart about their team as possible? And if they did, shouldn’t our response be “Oh well played, FCD. Let’s get this team into the black so the actual fans of the team can support them for years.” It’s ruthless, ambitious, and money grubbing yes. But nice guys finish last eh? Not saying I’m ready to go there yet, but I been thinking about it as a possibility and I’m not sure it’s that bad an idea. I am leaning toward thinking it was a shrewd and calculated move and congratulating FCD for it. Anyone? Edit: I just want to make it clear the above is simply a thought process I was having, I am not trying to say I know this is what FCD did consciously. I of course do not speak for FCD in any way. 13 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
Only if you assume #2 to be true.
I do not. More attention, much of which can translate to fans, has been brought about by increase press from Beckham & other recent signings. Sure there will be a good portion that are in it just for a glamour sightings, bandwaggon jumpers, or whatever, but most are there because they realize there is good soccer being played now, where they hadn’t before, or are just Americans new to the soccer experience.
You’re right…It was a good business decision. I am a walk up ticket purchaser for FCD, except for a few games I pre-order. I did buy the five game package to see Beckham and the other FCD games were a bonus (for me it was worth the money). I don’t live near Frisco and it is over an hour drive to PHP, but I go as often as I can because I want soccer and FCD to succeed.
However, if we are looking to add a few fans here and there and grow our sport while this huge media icon is playing in our league, upsetting the casual fan isn’t the best way to get repeat customers for FCD. Travis Bell’s quote in the paper was ridiculous, that type of attitude is not going to get his beloved FCD to reach the profit goals they need to hit from a business perspective. Fans at some point have to accept that their team is a business and that business needs fans, for whatever reason, to buy tickets to their games. Guess that leaves me right in the middle too Buzz. Good post.
Was there any doubt that this was a shrewd business move? The team struggles with attendence, so packaging the hot ticket with games throughout the year helps boost those numbers. If you look at from a wide sports view, say a person paid $75 for the 5 game pack. That’s less than a lot of stars, cowboys, and mavs tickets anymore, so to this person, it’s not a bad deal. They have 4 more game tickets, so they can try and sell them if need be, to recoup some of the cost. The organization knew it would never sell out these packages, but they could hold on the single game tickets as long as they needed to, create a higher ticket price through demand. The only backlash to the whole practice is Beckham not coming, and the mainstream media running with that as a negative against Dallas.
No way. FCD has been building this up – and like Garber at the All-Star games – FCD was using this game to draw in more sponsors (jersey sponsor, etc). FCD and the Hunts were clearly “hung out to dry” on this, no question. One thing to explain a swollen ankle to a 116 ticket holder, quite another to explain no Becks to a 20k luxury box corporate fat cat.
How empty will PHP with no Becks and 50% chance of T-storms for kickoff? Wish I was an upset corporate fat cat!
Buzz, Have you had any contact from any of the players or coaches since this thing exploded? I am really curious as to how they feel about everything.
I am sick over this whole fiasco. I could care less about seeing or not seeing Beckham, but I care a great deal about the team and the league. I am torn about tonights game. I am excited about the match itself, but I also fear that I may witness a train wreck.
I think that from the very beginning that FCD should have put up billboards announcing that Beckman might not attend this game, and then refuse to sell people tickets to it for their own protection. In fact, I don’t think LA should ever allow him to play at all, as his mere prescence will be too awesome for us mere Americans to handle and people will be dying of heart attacks from having been allowed into the same building as he.
Becks or no Becks, my Hoops wearing butt will be in my seat! As I suppose any true FCD fan will be. I will be there rain or shine, Becks or no Becks, win or lose, because I love the team–plain and simple. Oh how I wish we could pack the stadium in red and white every game and whatever the FO feels they need to do to help this along, I am on board. I wont lie, I would like to see Beckham walk across the field, and even sitting on the bench would have been nice, but I didnt have to buy a$100 seat for a no-show. Our boys didnt get to decide if they wanted to get on the plane yesterday and they didnt get to decide if the warmed up in the pelting rain, but they did. Somehow no matter whats going on in my day if I can ease into a seat to watch my Hoops play, it is going to be a good day.
Good post, Buzz. I havn’t made a game yet this season. However, I refuse to go see any game with Beckham. FCD was not selling soccer/football, they were selling Hollywood.
I watched at home tonight and yelled at my tv, w/o having to put up with some soccer mom getting pissed that I was explain to the ref and defence were their collective heads were located.
Good thing I missed the first half…I was asleep in the La-Z-Boy, and then I remembered the game was on. I come in at the 76th minute with the Beckham Star System (because he’s become their eternal light and they all revolve around him) up 4-1, and then it all goes down. Great 20 minutes there, but the rest I’m better off without, I guess.
I just love how the Beckhamaniacs whinge.
It’s not the FC’s fault he didn’t show…and of course they’re going to boost ticket prices for this match. Why not? Plenty of other sporting outfits do something similar. Maybe Michael Hitchcock should send Steve McClaren a bill. 
“I think that from the very beginning that FCD should have put up billboards announcing that Beckman (sic) might not attend this game.”
Now you’re onto something, mate! Something along the lines of “this coffee might be hot!”
the only ticket “package” that FCD should have sold right off the bat was teh SuperLiga package. this 5-game, then 3-game then individual game ticket deal was pure and utter crap. I am a STH and did not want to buy a 5game pack but I wanted to get SL tickets. There was actually a possibility that I could not have seen the LA game due to that selling idea.
shame FCD is getting blamed for pure media hype. it was never a given that becks would play. if we’re to win new fans, we’ll do it with a solid team & defense (ummm…1st half…hello?).
BTW – it was worth the extra $$ & 4 heart-attacks in the 1st 15 minutes to see toja & dax team-up on donovan in the 2nd half