Buffalo Sabres Raise Ticket Prices For 2015-2016

The Buffalo Sabres have announced a rise in season ticket prices – much to the dismay to some fans. Here are the breakdown of ticket price increases from the Buffalo News:

200 Club: $4,477 ($107 per game) to $4,688 ($112)

200 Club Ends: $3,739 ($89) to $3,909 ($93)

100 Rinkside: $4,067 ($97) to $4,278 ($102)

100 Preferred: $3,370 ($80) to $3,540 ($84)

100 Level II Rinkside: $3,288 ($78) to $3,458 ($82)

100 Level II: $2,696 ($64) to $2,825 ($67)

100 Level III Rinkside: $2,796 ($66) to $2,925 ($69)

100 Level III: $2,104 ($50) to $2,233 ($53)

100 Level IV: $1,858 ($44) to $1,946 ($46)

300 Level I: $1,981 ($47) to $2,069 ($49)

300 Level II: $1,433 ($34) to $1,518 ($36)

300 Level III: $1,146 ($27) to $1,190 ($28)

300 Level IV: $1,146 (27) to $1,190 ($28)

If you solely base the on ice product for the reason to increase season ticket sales, then the Buffalo Sabres are the worst team in franchise history right?

I mean how can you raise ticket prices on fans who have had to endure another season of last place hockey – selling the prospect of being good two to three years down the road?

The answer is simple, the NHL is a business, well not the NHL as a whole, but the teams that operate within the NHL. Owners don’t buy teams to run them as a charity for their fans to enjoy the game of hockey. Sure the owners of most professional sports teams have enough money and don’t need to make even more, but there are many other elements in play.

The Buffalo Sabres are considered a small market team – they require the revenue share that they are entitled to per the CBA. That requires them to sell there tickets at a certain threshold. Good or bad, the Buffalo Sabres are going to continue to raise ticket prices to keep themselves eligible for that revenue sharing.

The Sabres don’t have any problem filling the First Niagara Center. They have a cap on the number of season tickets they will sell, and there is a waiting list if you want to buy season tickets.

Sure there were a lot of empty seats this year, but can you blame people? The team wasn’t fun to watch on most nights. Families took their expendable income and chose to do other things with it. When the team starts winning again – guarantee it will once again get harder to get your hands on tickets.

So now the question – are you upset over the raising of the season ticket prices? Are you willing to give up your place in the arena because of the cost – knowing fair well that the chances of the Buffalo Sabres winning the Stanley Cup are going to rise exponentially in the coming years?

Reading comments on various sites fans for the most part are not on board with the team raising season ticket prices. As a non-season ticket holder, it is easy for me to say, so what, the prices are what they are – pay them or move out of the way for someone who does.

Ticket prices will continue to rise in the NHL, especially as far as the Buffalo Sabres are concerned. Does that change the way you view the franchise?

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