Fansided

Cardinals Ballpark Pass brings subscription services to baseball tickets

By Derek Helling

Oct 1, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Seung Hwan Oh (26) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Seung Hwan Oh (26) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The St. Louis Cardinals have launched a subscription service for fans, representing the introduction of the monthly subscription business trend to not only Major League Baseball, but professional sports in the United States overall.

United States citizens have been accustomed to subscription services like Netflix and Birchbox for years, and the number of businesses which operate with a similar structure seem to be endless. There’s even a monthly subscription service for moss enthusiasts, with which the lichen loyal can indulge in live moss delivered right to their doors.

It seemed like only a matter of time before the business model made a serious foray into professional sports, and that has now happened thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals. Subscribers to the team’s “Ballpark Pass” can attend unlimited St. Louis home games for a flat monthly fee.

Fans who register for the service, at a monthly cost of $29.99, will be guaranteed a standing-room-only ticket to each home game during that month. There are a few stipulations that fans should note, however:

  • Fans will not receive a paper ticket or access to a print-at-home ticket. The ticket can only be accessed via MLB’s Ballpark App, which is free to download from either the App Store or Google Play.
  • The ticket cannot be exchanged, transferred or resold.
  • A ticket for Opening Night against the Chicago Cubs on April 2 is not included in the program.
  • Once a fan subscribes, her/his monthly payment will auto-renew each month unless the user cancels before the 20th day of each month.

Despite the limitations, this program seems like a win for both the team and its fans. Fans could easily spend many times the monthly fee if they were to buy seats at Busch Stadium for each home game in a month’s time.

At the same time, additional fans in the ballpark means an enhanced chance for the team to sell concessions and merchandise. The best part about it for the team is that it doesn’t have to part with any of its limited quantity of seats in exchange for the potential sales, meaning that games have a higher return on investment.

Next: MLB needs more of a World Baseball Classic atmosphere

If the program leads to a drastic increase in sales inside the park, expect other teams in MLB and other leagues to replicate it soon.

Home/MLB