Despite Slight Cost Decrease, Cubs Still MLB’s Most Expensive Experience
The Cubs are having trouble selling out Opening Day, and it’s not just because the weather isn’t cooperating. Demand has been waning for years as ownership has invested less in the product on the field, then you add in last season’s selloff and the tepid forecast for competitiveness in 2022. After stretching the limits of their product’s price elasticity for some time now, it appears as though the rubber band may have finally snapped.
I got 7 “last and final” chances at season tickets. I feel terrible for the ticket reps who basically have to beg people to buy seats rn.
— Vaxed not immunized Justin (@jro_27) March 29, 2022
A big part of the problem is the perceived value of a trip to Wrigley Field, which is clearly very low at this point of the season. But even with warmer weather, it’s getting harder for fans to justify paying what remains the most expensive gameday experience in all of Major League Baseball. Between tickets, parking, two beers, and one hot dog, watching the Cubs will cost you a little over $110.
That figure comes from a recent report at Time2Play.com, which broke down several individual cost and opinion factors in addition to the information below.
I’m not going to waste my time and yours beating this dead horse any longer because there’s no point to it, but I will note that this all comes as a big chunk of Wrigley’s campus is torn up due to the construction of a sportsbook at the corner of Addison and Sheffield. If the team doesn’t surprise a whole lot of people by winning more than 75 games this year, ownership might finally be forced to reckon with the blowback from years of poor business decisions.
Rather than continue with this by pointing out what the other top teams on this list are doing (or aren’t doing, in some cases), I’ll leave it to you. What stands out about this list? Anything surprising? Finally, do you believe the Cubs are in danger of seeing their entire business model crumble or is this just a hiccup for them? Comment below.