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Going to a sporting event in the United States is a wildly expensive venture. Ticket prices are often inflated via the resale market. If you drive to the game, parking costs an arm and a leg, and don’t even think about trying to eat.
Before you know it, it’s easy to rack up a bill that’s several hundreds of dollars just because you wanted to go watch your favorite team player. But when the Atlanta Falcons opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017, they attempted to alleviate that burden on your wallet. The Falcons offered several concession items at $5 or less, including hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza.
The thought process was that fans will be more willing to spend on concessions if they can, y’know, actually afford to have a substantial meal. And their strategy has paid off! Front Office Sports reports that total transactions are up 30% compared to when the team played in the Georgia Dome. But it’s not just food. With less money being spent to eat, merchandise sales are up 20% and the average number of items per transaction are also up 20%.
Safe to say, it’s been a resounding success. And now others are following suit.
Multiple Teams Follow In Footsteps Of Atlanta Falcons With Concession Prices
One year after the Falcons slashed price, the Atlanta Hawks did the same. The newly born Utah Hockey Club announced that several of its top-performing concession items would be priced between $2 and $3. Earlier this week, Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia announced a drastic cut in concession prices at the Footprint Center.
“Winning starts with our fans,” Ishbia tweeted. “When I walk the concourse at games there aren’t food options for families who don’t want to spend a lot of money. That needs to change, so today we’re rolling out our $2 value menu for all home @Suns games.”
The average American is already stretched pretty thin when attending sports games, especially if they have a family. Insane concessions prices were just another burden fans had to worry about. Now it appears things are trending in a more sensible direction, and we have the Atlanta Falcons to thank for it.