Attendance drops in the playoffs?

[the_hangman]

After selling out the majority of the season, all of my playoff games had ~5,000 open seats for some reason? Has anyone seen this before?

I didn't adjust ticket prices or do any other front office related things, I just noticed this when I went to adjust my ticket prices during the winter meetings

[brotherblues]

Assuming you didn't raise ticket prices?

[Danbgs]

Yes I noticed this too. You can't raise prices during the season anyway.

[Le Grande Orange]

In real life, the minor league per game average attendance in the playoffs is lower than in the regular season, while in the majors the reverse is true.

[Pelican]

Yeah, at least in Class A, the playoffs occur around Labor Day weekend, when folks are away or have plans. It’s easier to plan for regular season games, than for playoff games with little advance notice.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Pelican

Yeah, at least in Class A, the playoffs occur around Labor Day weekend, when folks are away or have plans. It’s easier to plan for regular season games, than for playoff games with little advance notice.

The minor league season for many years ended on Labor Day, with the playoffs starting two days later. That of course changed in 2021 with the extension of the calendar length of the minor league season and the reduction in the size of the playoffs.

There were some exceptions, but in general the minor league playoffs didn't draw as well as the regular season.

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by Danbgs

Yes I noticed this too. You can't raise prices during the season anyway.

You absolutely can

[NoOne]

raise the price a bit.. it'll jump back up.

you probably won a bunch in the regular season? if so, i'd wager you can find a ticket price slightly higher that cuases teh attendance to jump, but it does go back down as it is supposed to, so don't increase too much or may tkae a little trial and error.

if it hasn't changed, you can speed this learning process up by 'starting' a game, but cancel before you get past the first splash screen. you cna see attendance in teh corner when they showlineups or whatever other info is on that screen. you haven't actualy entered the game yet. attendance numbers will update if you change inputs, like ticket price.

and if that doesn't work, try reducing the ticket price.

it maay jump back up after a series win. whatever you observe, expect it to be consistent in future... successive years of winning WS is a different context than the first one.

another good trick is overpricing season tickets significantly.. especially if you are able to consistently increase ticket price throughout the season normally due to extreme success. price season tickets where you expect to be in sept-oct games. it won't hurt attendance. i shot for about 1/3rd season ticket sales of attendance. need some calculus to determine peak, but close enough through trial and error. ymmv with different regular season success.

even when you have a long winning streak is relevant. a 20 game win streak in may helps you raise ticket prices more throughout season than a 20win streak in august.

another good thing to go by -- opening day you can boost ticket price. this is usually at or near what you can boost it too if you have an extremely successful regular season.. by august or late season you'll be able to price game tickets at or near this opening day price. always try to push higher, of course. can use that trick above to learn fast or over time you can learn by results just the same. in the end it makes no difference once you learn it.

[md40022]

A lot of interesting points about minor league attendance, but given the info in the original post we are dealing with major league playoff games here...... and if ticket prices weren't adjusted to something too high just before the playoffs, an attendance drop makes no damn sense at all.

[Dutch Alexander]

In my fictional league playoff games always sell out, without exception. In fact attendance is always higher than stadium capacity.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by md40022

A lot of interesting points about minor league attendance, but given the info in the original post we are dealing with major league playoff games here...... and if ticket prices weren't adjusted to something too high just before the playoffs, an attendance drop makes no damn sense at all.

I'm not sure it should make much difference at all, at least, according to real-life MLB attendance figures — the post-season brings people to major league parks.

One example below: the per game average attendance for the 2017 regular season and post-season, and the percentage increase.

      Regular      Post
       Season    Season  Increase
----------------------------------
LAN    46,492    54,375    +17.0%
CHN    39,507    42,302     +7.1%
NYA    38,851    48,839    +25.7%
BOS    36,021    37,658     +4.5%
WAS    31,173    43,869    +40.7%
HOU    29,675    43,234    +45.7%
ARI    26,350    48,722    +84.9%
CLE    25,286    37,698    +49.1%

In real life, the Major League Executive Council determines the price of post-season tickets. Furthermore, the players get 50% of the gate receipts from each Wild Card game, 60% of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series, and 60% of the gate receipts from the first four games of the League Championship and World Series.(according to the 2021 Major League Rules).

[the_hangman]

Ticket prices remained constant throughout the season and I didn't raise them for the playoffs, it's now happened a second year in a row for me without raising ticket prices at any point. I don't think it affects my finances much, just kind of bugs me now that I see it happening

[snepp]

Was it a game that was imported from 23?

Any other playoff teams show the same variation?

[md40022]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

I'm not sure it should make much difference at all, at least, according to real-life MLB attendance figures — the post-season brings people to major league parks.

One example below: the per game average attendance for the 2017 regular season and post-season, and the percentage increase.

      Regular      Post
       Season    Season  Increase
----------------------------------
LAN    46,492    54,375    +17.0%
CHN    39,507    42,302     +7.1%
NYA    38,851    48,839    +25.7%
BOS    36,021    37,658     +4.5%
WAS    31,173    43,869    +40.7%
HOU    29,675    43,234    +45.7%
ARI    26,350    48,722    +84.9%
CLE    25,286    37,698    +49.1%

In real life, the Major League Executive Council determines the price of post-season tickets. Furthermore, the players get 50% of the gate receipts from each Wild Card game, 60% of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series, and 60% of the gate receipts from the first four games of the League Championship and World Series.(according to the 2021 Major League Rules).

Oh I totally agree. I guess what I was getting at would there would have to be an unfathomable price increase because a typical post season ticket price hike shouldn't lead to a drop in attendance. Something is absolutely not right with the OP's situation.

[the_hangman]

Originally Posted by snepp

Was it a game that was imported from 23?

Any other playoff teams show the same variation?

Game wasn't imported, 24 is my first time playing again since 19. I checked the Braves attendances in the playoffs (they knocked me out in the NLCS) and they went from 90-100% full most of the season to sellouts in every game in the playoffs as you'd expect.