AVFTH: Cost of going to the game too expensive?

[skeepe]

Too expensive. The wife and I uses to find a way to get there anyway, but now with a new addition to the family there's just no way we can justify the expense.

$40 for the cheap seats... sorry, that's ridiculous.

 

[Timmah]

To pre-purchase tickets online to every club's next home game, here are the full costs (including ticket agency fees):

Cowboys $19.49
Eels (PS) $25.39
Dogs & Eels (ANZ) $26.44
Dragons (WJOK) $27.33
Dragons (WSWG) $27.48
Knights, Tigers (CS & LO) $29.47
Storm $29.67
Roosters $30.10
Broncos $30.24
Warriors $30.25 NZD
Sharks $30.44
Panthers $31.44
Rabbitohs $31.54
Raiders $34.05
Titans $35.53
Manly $36.09

 

[TheDalek079]

Not so much in this thread yet, but elsewhere I often see/hear people whinging about cost of the food and beer at the games.

1) don't buy food at the ground. buy some lollies at the supermarket or take some rolls in
2) the beers only expensive when you're drinking half a dozen each half! limit yourself to one drink at the game (that's reasonable) and then it's not costly

 

[Glen]

Pre-purchase kids tickets online for the major stadiums then use them for adults. They all scan the same

 

[franklin2323]

The on the gate price is the killer. My membership is pay by the month so don't feel it. I know the trick for quick exit at Centrebet so don't pay for parking. The BBQ $10 Bacon & Egg roll & coke so not too bad. Though a Coles 5mins walk from the ground.

Say I am a family on a holiday & want to check out footy. $25 x 4 ticket. $10 x 4. $5 parking $150 easy gone. Should have cheap GA seats. Keep the rest as normal for those that want reserved or undercover seating.

 

[Prometheus]

I went to the State of Origin game in Sydney in 2010 and couldn't believe they had the gall to charge Category 1 prices for tickets in the nose-bleed section. I had to pay the same for my tickets (marked "A" on the picture below) as somebody in the front row on the half-way line (marked "B") paid for their tickets.

 

[Rexxy]

We're live now, in a special tribute to Howard Sattler and the Replacements.

Find out what's happening at Wests (The weatherman's revenge) and some inside juice on what is wrong at Newcastle.

And we feature the results of this poll. Footy can be expensive, specially when you drop a monkey down the toilet on the Dragons.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aviewfromthehill/2013/06/15/nrl-round-14-15-june-2013

Aaaahhh oooooh the Wolfman of Brookvale

 

[juanfarkall]

To pre-purchase tickets online to every club's next home game, here are the full costs (including ticket agency fees):

Cowboys $19.49
Eels (PS) $25.39
Dogs & Eels (ANZ) $26.44
Dragons (WJOK) $27.33
Dragons (WSWG) $27.48
Knights, Tigers (CS & LO) $29.47
Storm $29.67
Roosters $30.10
Broncos $30.24
Warriors $30.25 NZD
Sharks $30.44
Panthers $31.44
Rabbitohs $31.54
Raiders $34.05
Titans $35.53
Manly $36.09

Worth mentioning that the Broncos rate is a discount offer which ends at 5pm today. Normally $5 more.
In addition away seats start at $36 plus fees.

It is also worth mentioning that the ticket agency fees vary depending upon your method of payment and your delivery method with different fees for venue pickup, "print your own" ticket or "smartphone" ticket.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I am so tight, I don't even take a pi$$ at the footy. I ain't giving them nuthin'!!!

On a serious note, I have season tix, which reduces the cost of entry per game, and gets you cross freebies with other clubs which makes it cost effective. Plus all the other guff. But I go each fortnight AND I don't have Fox. That is my family's decision to spend the money on season tix and then go to Away games across Sydney as we can - Penrith, Sharks and Roosters being ideal AWAY games to get to for us. But the prices are still iffy but you have to pay if you want to get in.

At ANZ, I have never, ever once been denied food or drink in to the ground - albeit you can't take cans of drink, booze, etc - and on Grand Final day have taken fully laden eskys without anyone noticing the sharp bread or cheese knives OR jars of salsa for the Doritos. Most weeks we take a bottle of water and/or 1.25l Coke, with a bag of lollies, cubed fruit, whatever, and no one stops us.

Whilst I do agree walk up or casual fans are paying too much, there are options available.

That said, someone was saying that AFL matches at the MCG are $5-$10 for the nosebleed. If NRL in Sydney could develop a culture of people going to matches AND building their crowds, it'd be great to see them bring tix prices down.

As suggested elsewhere on LU, NRL should create its own ticketing agency where they sell all the tickets AND take a revenue cut.

And if its true that the Dogs and Rabbits are looking at a gate sharing deal, and other clubs buy in to that, it would encourage people to go to non home games, esp if they knew the clubs were benefitting from big crowds.

Finally, not only should the NRL be looking at price, but scheduling. People are creatures of habit and if you want them to go playing Home Away Away Away Home Away Home Home, with weeks inbetween home games self-defeating IMO. I'd like a full scheduled, Home Away Home Away set up.

 

[Pugzley]

Went to Allianz stadium to see the Riff play the c**ks and spent around $30-35 for a single general entry and $14.00 for fish&chips + coke.

 

[grandorient]

I went to Newcastle from Macksville to watch the Saints/Knights game last weekend.

Tickets $90
Fuel $80
Parking $10
Food and drinks at stadium $76
Bunnings bill for gas bottle and wife's plants $100
2 Cartons piss $85 plus bottle scotch $40 (bloody brother-in-law drank most of it)

Nearly $500 and you guys think you have it bad.

GO

 

[Perth Red]

To get my NRL fix this weekend
Flights $1100
Hotel $400
Tickets $92
Wife's shopping bill TBC!

 

[Prometheus]

I went to Newcastle from Macksville to watch the Saints/Knights game last weekend.

Tickets $90
Fuel $80
Parking $10
Food and drinks at stadium $76
Bunnings bill for gas bottle and wife's plants $100
2 Cartons piss $85 plus bottle scotch $40 (bloody brother-in-law drank most of it)

How is the cost of the gas bottle, plants, cartons of beer and bottle of scotch incurred by your attending the game?

BTW, $40? Buy better scotch.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I know a bloke who goes to 3 maybe 4 games a week and NEVER pays.

Blags unused members tickets from around the office and seems to always get freebies to others, sponsors boxes, etc.

 

[Prometheus]

Getting in the stadium is only part of the cost though.

 

[eozsmiles]

A little bit OT....

I find that I'm often hearing the argument that it is too expensive to get a family of four to the footy. And it's going to cost $200 for the day and how that is a bit steep for a weekly outing etc etc. That is fair enough, it is a battle all sellers and consumers face. When you prioritise your budget there is plenty of important stuff to get before footy! And then footy competes with the movies, restaurants, beaches, other sports, music, etc etc etc.

But anyway, the vibe seems to be that driving down the cost for families would be a good thing, but you have to cut the costs for everyone if you do that. Can't charge a single bloke $50 for a seat and the family of four next to him $100 for 4 seats......unless you want him to spend his money elsewhere. So we should be looking at reducing costs for all fans, not just certain groups who it seems are actively seeking to spend as little as possible. We want as many bums on seats as we can get, but we want to make $$$ out of those seats, too.

Does anyone know how much money the clubs make out of each type of customer? I don't know the answer, but if I took 3 mates to the footy we'd be looking at 4 x $50 for tickets, probably 6-8 beers each @ approx $7 (or $11, wtf!), transport, at least 4 x feeds, maybe some souvenirs or a bet (footy gets a cut from each bet don't they?). It'd be more like $500-$600 than the $200 a family will spend. We'll eat more, drink more, therefore spend more.


Anyway, back on topic. I don't think it is too extreme to go to the footy. If you go for the early game it is around 3.5-4 hours of action. That is twice as long as a film or a show. The amount of money people spend isn't too much different to what they'd spend having a nice tea or wathcing a decent band. Took the nephews to a go kart track not long ago - that cost an arm and a leg and didnt last as long as the footy does.

I don't count transport or parking in costs but I know others do. My view is that if you need to travel to any entertainment it is arbitrary. Like other people have said, don't buy the s**t food or the expensive drinks if it rubs you the wrong way. That is easy to avoid. Season tickets will help the budget for keen fans.

 

[Perth Red]

A little bit OT....

I find that I'm often hearing the argument that it is too expensive to get a family of four to the footy. And it's going to cost $200 for the day and how that is a bit steep for a weekly outing etc etc. That is fair enough, it is a battle all sellers and consumers face. When you prioritise your budget there is plenty of important stuff to get before footy! And then footy competes with the movies, restaurants, beaches, other sports, music, etc etc etc.

But anyway, the vibe seems to be that driving down the cost for families would be a good thing, but you have to cut the costs for everyone if you do that. Can't charge a single bloke $50 for a seat and the family of four next to him $100 for 4 seats......unless you want him to spend his money elsewhere. So we should be looking at reducing costs for all fans, not just certain groups who it seems are actively seeking to spend as little as possible. We want as many bums on seats as we can get, but we want to make $$$ out of those seats, too.

Does anyone know how much money the clubs make out of each type of customer? I don't know the answer, but if I took 3 mates to the footy we'd be looking at 4 x $50 for tickets, probably 6-8 beers each @ approx $7 (or $11, wtf!), transport, at least 4 x feeds, maybe some souvenirs or a bet (footy gets a cut from each bet don't they?). It'd be more like $500-$600 than the $200 a family will spend. We'll eat more, drink more, therefore spend more.


Anyway, back on topic. I don't think it is too extreme to go to the footy. If you go for the early game it is around 3.5-4 hours of action. That is twice as long as a film or a show. The amount of money people spend isn't too much different to what they'd spend having a nice tea or wathcing a decent band. Took the nephews to a go kart track not long ago - that cost an arm and a leg and didnt last as long as the footy does.

I don't count transport or parking in costs but I know others do. My view is that if you need to travel to any entertainment it is arbitrary. Like other people have said, don't buy the s**t food or the expensive drinks if it rubs you the wrong way. That is easy to avoid. Season tickets will help the budget for keen fans.

Big difference is we want people to go to a game every week, generally people don't spend $1-200 every weekend on entertainment. Maybe once a fortnight or a month or rarer for people doing it tough. That is the difference between going to footy and going go karting or to cinema, frequency.

 

[Bumble]

Train to Homebush costs next to nothing, tickets cost next to nothing, bring food from home. And don't buy beer it's two hours ffs

Costs less than $50 for the whole day. Not expensive at all.

 

[Prometheus]

Big difference is we want people to go to a game every week, generally people don't spend $1-200 every weekend on entertainment. Maybe once a fortnight or a month or rarer for people doing it tough. That is the difference between going to footy and going go karting or to cinema, frequency.

Exactly.

There used to be a culture of families going to all their club's home games and we have lost that. Such a loss is not just financial. it costs the game more than just money.

 

[skeepe]

Train to Homebush costs next to nothing, tickets cost next to nothing, bring food from home. And don't buy beer it's two hours ffs

Costs less than $50 for the whole day. Not expensive at all.

For one person. In Sydney.