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Bulls Try To Keep Games Affordable
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The Durham Bulls celebrated the nation’s pastime last week while noting the economic difficulties the nation faces.
The baseball team held its annual FanFest to kick off single-game ticket sales and announced a “9-Inning Vacations” promotion for people cutting back on entertainment spending during the recession.
The “vacations” combine a ticket to a Bulls game with items like a cap or a bag of peanuts for a total of $9.
“With people keeping back their money a little bit and not taking the longer vacations, what we are planning on is that they are going to come out here,” Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said.
The team held the line on ticket prices this season, too. The most-expensive seats at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park are $9, while the cheapest seats cost $7.
Season-ticket sales haven’t dropped much from a year ago, Birling said.
“(We) just try to keep it affordable because that’s what people in the Triangle need,” he said.
“They’ve supported us for all these years, and now it’s our turn to give back and keep things as inexpensive as possible.”
At FanFest, anyone who bought a ticket received a free lunch of ballpark fare like hotdogs, fries and soda. They also were allowed onto the field to take a few swings in the batter’s box or play catch in the outfield.
“The excitement is definitely in the air, just seeing the ballpark, seeing the field greening up,” Birling said.
About 2,300 people attended FanFest, up from 1,300 a year ago, Bulls spokesman Matt DeMargel said. Tickets sales were up 22 percent from a year ago, and merchandise sales increased 20 percent, he said.
The team opens its season April 9 against the Norfolk Tides.
The Bulls are owned by Capitol Broadcasting Co., which also owns WRAL.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Erin Hartness & WRAL.com’s Matthew Burns for this capcom story.
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Durham Bulls Baseball a Bargain!
The 2009 Fan Cost Index proved once again that Minor League Baseball is one of the best entertainment values in the country. But the league as a whole is still no match for the affordable, family entertainment provided by the Durham Bulls.
A fun night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2009 will cost a family of four only $43.50, $11 less than the Minor League Baseball average and $18 less than the Triple-A average. Incredibly, the Bulls are almost $6.00 less expensive than the league average for Short Season/Rookie League Baseball.
Read more
Capitol Sports’ George Habel blogs about great deals for fans this season at Durham Bulls’ baseball games. |
“We look forward to this report every year because our staff and ownership takes great pride in the value we provide to our fans,” Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said, “Especially in times like these, we are happy to be able to offer nine inning vacations for fans at such an affordable price.”
The survey is based on the price of two adult tickets; two child tickets; four hot dogs; two sodas; two beers; a program and parking.
The average cost of an enjoyable night at a Minor League ballpark ranges from $61.79 for a Triple-A game to $47.20 for a Short-Season-A/Rookie one. The Double-A ($54.26) and Class A ($55.06) classifications are within 55 cents of the industry average.
The Durham Bulls open the 2009 season at home against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday, April 9th at 7:05pm. Tickets are available online at www.durhambulls.com or by phone at (919) 956-BULL.
Thanks to DBBC’s Matt DeMargel for this capcom story.
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