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River Ave. Blues » TiqIQ

TiqIQ: Fresh Off Series Sweep, Yankees Look to Avoid Brooms Against Red Sox Again This Weekend

May 4, 2016 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

The downward spiral continued for the New York Yankees on Tuesday, as they dropped their sixth straight game, and will crawl to the end of a nine-game road stint in Baltimore on Thursday. The Bombers will return to the Bronx for a ten-game stretch of their own beginning this Friday, hoping to jump start the homestand with a big weekend against the red-hot Boston Red Sox.

Sure, there are more desirable teams the Yankees would rather face given their sluggish start, but the basement dwellers have a chance to right the ship with a good showing at the Stadium this weekend. And for fans who remain optimistic about the team’s early-season woes, plenty of deals still exist for Yankees tickets for this weekend’s series.

The Red Sox make the first of three trips to Yankee Stadium this season looking to regain the divisional lead in the AL East. They did so last week after sweeping the Yankees at Fenway Park, where they decimated Yankees pitching and scored 20 runs during the three-game series. Friday night’s series opener will see Michael Pineda start for the Yankees against Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello. While the bleacher sections are sold out, upper deck seating starts from just $21.

On Saturday, Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound in search of his second win of the season against newly-signed Red Sox ace David Price. Price has been hit early and often this season but a formidable offense has allowed him to start the season 4-0 despite his 6.14 ERA. There is limited ticket inventory available for the matinee game, however, and the cheapest seats are listed from $53 in Section 231.

ESPN’s Baseball Tonight will broadcast the final game of the series on Sunday night. Luis Severino will be in search of his first win of the year after starting the season 0-4. The Braves will give the nod to Steven Wright, who sits at 2-3 and is coming off a loss against the Chicago White Sox. It will be the cheapest game of the series, with outfield bleacher seats starting from just $17.

While the Yankees have struggled to find any sense of balance through the first month of play, there is plenty of excitement surrounding Aroldis Chapman’s debut in pinstripes next week. Chapman is nearing the end of a 30-game suspension and will provide a boost to a bullpen that already features Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. Miller has been sensational thus far, allowing just four hits in 10 innings of work. However, the Miller-Chapman tandem can only go as far the offense takes them, and the bats will need to wake up beginning this weekend if the Yankees hope to curb a streaking Red Sox team.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

TiqIQ: Last-Place Yankees Bring Cold Bats Into May, But Plenty To Look Forward To At Yankee Stadium

April 29, 2016 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

If there are any signs of life in the Yankees clubhouse, Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers saw two of the team’s oldest players picking up the slack. CC Sabathia’s strong performance and a home run from Alex Rodriguez weren’t enough to give the Yankees a much-needed victory, however, and the Bombers continued their downward spiral in the cellar of the AL East.

While it is unfamiliar territory for the Yankees, who took their 2015 season into the Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros, there is hope that the aging group will return to playoff form sooner rather than later. They’ll aim to do so during the month of May, where 13 home games are on tap against the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. For fans looking to take in the action in the Bronx all month long, plenty of deals exist for Yankees tickets on the primary market.

The Red Sox will be in town for a three-game series between May 6 and 8. Their first of three visits to Yankee Stadium this season will be a must for any fan to attend as David Ortiz makes one of his final stops in the Bronx. Big Papi will certainly play a key role in the series, and bleacher seating starts from just $18 for all three games on Ticketmaster. The Red Sox have dreams of first place in mind, however, as they head to the Stadium in a proverbial headlock with the Baltimore Orioles atop the division.

Perhaps the most intriguing games in the Bronx this month will come between May 9 and 12, when the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals head to Yankee Stadium for a four-game stint. It will be the first and final time the Royals travel to Yankee Stadium this season, with the teams meeting just once more in Kansas City in August. With four night games on the ledger, fans can find bleacher and grandstand seating starting from $18. Terrace and main seating across the four-game series range from $32 and $55. Tuesday’s game on May 10 is a MasterCard preferred pricing night with tickets starting at just $5 and discounted pricing in a variety of other sections throughout the ballpark.

While the Royals have again found success early this season, the White Sox have surprised the league with their red-hot start. The team’s spring training controversy surrounding former player Adam LaRoche has seemed to be a non-factor in the clubhouse, and their 16-7 record is second best in the Majors behind the 16-5 Chicago Cubs. Their three-game series with the Yankees between May 13 and 15 offers the same ticket prices as the previous series against the Red Sox and Royals, but when playoff-caliber teams are on the docket, there may be more incentive for fans to attend.

The final series in the Bronx during the month of May will be a three-game stretch with the Toronto Blue Jays from May 24 to 26. Like the Yankees, the Jays have struggled to start the season and currently sit three games under .500.  Still, the big names on the Blue Jays roster are guaranteed to bring fans to the ballpark, and the reigning AL East champions will likely come equipped with the long ball in the small confines of Yankee Stadium.

If the Yankees hope to break out of the funk that’s sent them on a ride to the bottom of the East, their favorable schedule at home against quality teams in May will be the time to do so. It will be a financially rewarding stretch for fans, too, as welcoming ticket prices greet them at the gates on E 161st Street.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

TiqIQ: Yankees Tickets Serving Up Excellent Value Through Remainder of April

April 15, 2016 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

After dropping two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto this week, the Yankees will hope to right the ship with three straight series at home over the next 10 days. The Bombers set to host the Mariners, Athletics and Rays through April 25, and for those thinking of making the trip to the Stadium over the next three home series, plenty of deals are available for Yankees tickets on the primary market.

Robinson Cano will make his latest return to the Bronx when the Mariners visit the Bronx this weekend for a three-game set. Friday night and Saturday afternoon’s games will offer the best price points for fans looking to sit closer to the action, as 100-level seating for both games starts from $117.20 on Ticketmaster. Saturday afternoon’s game lists the cheapest 100-level seat for $133.50.

Friday’s game will offer the best price points for lower-level seating. According to resale aggregator TiqIQ, the get-in price for secondary market Yankees tickets in 100-level seating is $184 – 57% more expensive than on the primary market. If looking just to get in, the cheapest ticket during all three games with the Mariners is $27.80 on Ticketmaster.

The Yankees welcome the Athletics for three games between Tuesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 21. Unlike the preceding series against the Mariners, however, the secondary market will have the best ticket prices for all three games. Yankees tickets on TiqIQ start from just $5 in the 400-level section for Wednesday’s game, making it the cheapest game of the season at Yankee Stadium. 100-level tickets start from $86 on the secondary market across the entire three-game series.

Yankee Stadium will host its final series in April against the Rays between Friday, April 22, and Sunday, April 24. The three-game series will be highlighted by Babe Ruth bobblehead day on Saturday, where the first 18,000 fans will receive a miniature replica of the Sultan of Swat. 100-level seating for the matinee game will be cheaper on the secondary market, with the get-in price starting from $117.20. 100-level tickets on the secondary market start from $131 for Saturday’s game.

With a disappointing road trip now in the rearview, the Yankees will look to regain their footing over their next nine games in the Bronx. They managed to take two games from the Astros in their opening series last week, and did so in rather convincing fashion. The team’s first win of the season came in a 16-6 victory over Astros pitcher Collin McHugh and was quickly followed by an 8-5 win the following night.

Perhaps the Yankees’ greatest advantage over the next 10 days is the welcoming of similarly struggling teams. The Mariners, Athletics and Rays have combined for just a 10-18 record over the first two weeks of play. Whether the Yankees can take advantage of those slow starts remains to be seen, but one things remains clear – fans can find considerable deals for tickets to upcoming games through the end of the month both on the primary and secondary market.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

TiqIQ: The Yankees new ticketing policy is certainly good for the team. Could it also be good for fans?

April 3, 2016 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

The following is from Jesse Lawrence of TiqIQ.

When the Yankees announced that they’d be eliminating print-at-home tickets entirely last month, the media jumped on the story as the latest example of greed in big sports. Beyond the click-driving headlines, however, the real story is as much about the shift toward mobile buying as it is a dollar grab. It’s also a change that has the potential to benefit consumers in meaningful ways.

In full disclosure, my company, TiqIQ, has a horse in this race. In fact, we have two. In the pursuit of providing fans full market transparency, we analyze and sell tickets from primary platforms like Ticketmaster, Eventbrite and Spectra, as well as from the secondary market. Our secondary market includes feeds directly from brokers as well as other sources, including the Yankees Ticket Exchange. Over the last five years, that focus on both sides of the marketplace has given us a unique perspective across thousands of events and millions of tickets.  While each league and event has it’s own unique primary-secondary dynamic, on the whole we’ve found that the primary and secondary markets have the best deals roughly in equal measure. For the Yankees, and most of baseball, however, it’s a slightly different picture.

Last year none of the 30 Major League teams sold out of their season.  While the Yankees ranked 4th in the league attendance, they only filled up Yankee stadium at 80% of capacity over the course of the season. For baseball, that’s like hitting .300, but it still equates to about 10,000 unsold tickets…for every game.  This compares to the approximately 5,000 secondary market tickets available for each Yankees home game. For the 2015 season, we analyzed 51 games, one-month ahead of the game.  We looked at games that we felt were a representative sample of all demand profiles across four price categories—100s, 200s, 300s and 400s. The data showed that, overall, primary was cheaper 59.5% of the time. For 300 level seats, primary was cheaper in 39 of the 51 games. For 100-level seats, the Secondary market had a better deal 51% of the time. The full analysis with 2015 and 2016 can be viewed here.

For this season, we’re again tracking the difference between the primary and secondary market for Yankees tickets across 51 games. This year, we expanded to five price tiers for some more granularity. So far, the secondary market has a slight edge, and is cheaper 53% the time. For higher demand games against teams like the Red Sox, Mets, Giants and Dodgers, though, primary has the better deal in almost twice as often as the secondary market. For the two Red Sox Series we tracked, primary has a better deal 89% of time. That will likely change as the events get closer in date, as the secondary market almost always drops in the days and week leading up to the event. May is a good example of that, as the primary market is cheaper only 36% of the time. For young and old ticket buyers alike, however, that’s not information that is or has been readily accessible in the buying process.  A search in Google for ‘Yankees Tickets’ returns 16 results on the coveted first page of results. The Yankees or Major League Baseball power six of those sites. Simple math says that the team is completely absent from more than half of the ticket buying options in at least one prominent buying ecosystem.  In the context of apps, the picture is even worse for teams. A search for ‘Yankees tickets’ in Apple’s app store returns 9 results, eight of which have nothing to do with the team itself or their primary inventory.

Over the last two decades years, that kind of under-representation in the market has been driven by a combination of bad technology and bad business decisions. Sixteen years after Stubhub was founded, that may be beginning to change. Last week, Ticketmaster launched their checkout into another app for the first time. Their partner, Bands in Town, has between five and ten million app installs in Google Play alone and ranks second for a search on ‘music tickets’ in the App store. In the months and years to come, this distributed model will find it’s way into sports. From a marketplace perspective, that could be a very good thing for buyers, as it has the opportunity to reduce purchase friction for the 40% of primary inventory that goes unsold every year.

Over the last five years at TiqIQ, we’ve seen traffic go from 70% desktop to 70% mobile and app. It’s a trend that is only picking up velocity and when the marketplace speaks that loudly, businesses have no choice but to respond.  As they did in 2013 with their secondary ticket exchange, the Yankees have responded first and loudly in an effort to move things away from the status quo. They’ll suffer first-mover criticism, but others will follow their lead. Regardless of those lashings, the Boss would surely take some pleasure in knowing that the rival Red Sox are launching their own ticket exchange this season, three years after the Yankees did the same.

Regardless of the pace at which teams move, in the long run, it seems to be only a matter of when and how, not if, they’ll regain control of their ticket buying ecosystem. The recent dismissal of Stubhub’s lawsuit against Ticketmaster and the Golden State Warriors is further evidence of that inevitability. As that happens, it’s critical that teams don’t abuse their rediscovered power. If managed properly, though, the Yankees decision and the shift it represents may usher in a much-needed simplification of the ticket market. In addition to the opportunity for a more complete view of the marketplace, it also has the potential to turn ticketing into something it’s hasn’t been since the Cubs last won a world series: a product that works well enough for fans to give it almost no thought at all.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

TiqIQ: Yankees’ Offseason Additions, NYCFC’s Second Year Makes 2016 A Promising Year At Yankee Stadium

March 1, 2016 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

The New York Yankees need not be reminded of the gem Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel threw at Yankee Stadium during the AL Wild Card game last October. There is a heightened sense of optimism heading into the 2016 season, however. After acquiring infielder Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs and closer Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds, Yankee Stadium will be alive and well with All-Star talent beginning in April.

Along with the added hype and marquee roster additions will also be a larger demand for tickets on the secondary market. As it stands now the average price for New York Yankees tickets through all 81 games at Yankee Stadium is $110.76. That marks a 27.9% increase from last year’s average of $83.63. More than a half dozen games currently own an average price above $150, including divisional games against the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox and crosstown rival Mets in August.

That shouldn’t deter fans from making traveling arrangements to New York City this spring and summer, however. The Yankees won’t be left to lick their wounds for long as they welcome the Astros to the Bronx in early April. An August 14 game against the Rays, which will honor Mariano Rivera with his own plaque in Monument Park before the game, is currently the most expensive on Yankees schedule this season, with tickets averaging $227.59 and the cheapest ticket listed for $37. Fans can expect the Yankees’ shut-down relief to be on full display with a lead, as Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Chapman round out what is considered the most feared bullpen in the Majors this year.

Reasons to travel to Yankee Stadium don’t just end with the Yankees. New York City Football Club, New York’s newest sporting franchise, will launch its second season in the Bronx beginning on March 13 against Toronto FC. Tickets for the opening game are considerably cheaper than the Yankees’ Opening Day one month later, with an average secondary market price of $70.75 and a $23 get-in price. It will fall in the middle of the price pack in relation to the whole season, however, as seven other games are averaging a higher price. A July 3 game against the crosstown New York Red Bulls is the most expensive match of the season for NYCFC, with tickets averaging $110.79 and the cheapest ticket listed for $39.

NYCFC is coming off an underwhelming inaugural year after going just 10-17-7 and finishing 17th overall in the league. Much of the season was dedicated to the ongoing participation controversy regarding Frank Lampard, who played just 10 games and posted three goals in that time. Lampard, the all-time leading goalscorer for Chelsea, did little to contribute to a postseason push for NYCFC in 2015.

There is reason to believe that the upcoming year will be a monumental one at Yankee Stadium. With the Yankees bolstering their roster and NYCFC hoping to break out and place in the MLS Playoffs, 2016 will be a fruitful year for the fan hell-bent on making the trip to the Bronx.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

TiqIQ: With Eyes Still On AL East, Yankees Host Rival Red Sox In Last Home Series Of 2015

September 28, 2015 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

The New York Yankees are on life support right now regarding their chances of winning the AL East, being four games back of the division rival Toronto Blue Jays with just a week remaining in the 2015 Major League Baseball season. While it’s appearing certain that the Yanks will still enter the postseason with one of the two Wild Card berths, they would much rather avoid that do-or-die play-in game, in which anything can happen.

Enter New York’s arch nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, who will be on the outside looking in for the second year in a row when the playoffs commence in just over a week. At the same time, they can still somewhat salvage their season by potentially dealing the final blow to the Yankees’ chances at first-place in the division. The two rivals will begin their latest heated series opposite one another on Monday evening.

As huge as this late-season series is, the value is incredible for Yankees tickets when they match up against the Red Sox in their final home series of the campaign. In fact, none of the four games in this series even top $97 on average, with the Oct. 1 finale being the most expensive at just $96.86 on the secondary market. The cheapest of the series is Tuesday night’s game two, which sports an average ticket price of $66.39, meanwhile, the series opener on Monday night also comes relatively cheap, being $73.99 on average on the secondary market. Tickets on the primary market from Ticketmaster are still available and start at just $20 for each of these rivalry games.

Tickets to see the Yankees and Red Sox battle need very little convincing, as this is arguably the most storied rivalry in all of baseball. Plus, there’s important playoff implications with each game in the series. On one side, the Yankees are trying to officially lock up their residency in the 2015 postseason, while also looking to catch Toronto in the division. In that regard, they’re going to need some help also, as the Blue Jays will have to lose about half of the games they have left over the final week in order to catch them at the top.

On the other side, the visiting Red Sox can make the best of a losing season if they are able to put a dent in New York’s aspirations for first-place. Not only that, they also have a little something to play for, as they try to avoid finishing in the division cellar for the second year in a row. At the moment, they’re a half-game up on the Tampa Bay Rays to avoid that distinction, and a series win over the Yankees would certainly help their cause even further, and perhaps even fault them ahead of the Baltimore Orioles to jump into third-place.

Each side, of course, has their big names to lean on. While the Bronx Bombers no longer have Mark Teixeira for the remainder of the year, they still boast some exceptional bats in the form of Alex Rodriguez, Brian McCann, and Brett Gardner. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have their own signature sluggers, being paced by the likes of David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. The Yankees have taken 10 of the 15 matchups between the two clubs this season, and will need to continue that notable success if they want to continue their pursuit of first in the division. With Boston recognizing that, it won’t be easy, but at the very least, this should be a very entertaining four-game series, making tickets for each game a tremendous value overall.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

TiqIQ: Yankees Offering Playoff Ticket Pre-Sale As Best Option Opposed To Secondary Market

September 23, 2015 by TicketIQ Leave a Comment

After a thrilling win last night against the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings thanks to a Greg Bird three-run home run, the New York Yankees appear to be in complete control of their destiny as they gear up for the postseason. The position has not exactly been clinched yet, but the Yankees hold a six-game lead over the Minnesota Twins, who are the first team outside the American League Wild Card cut line.

The AL East division is still up for grabs, too, as last night’s win over Toronto pulled the Yankees to within 2.5 games of the Blue Jays with about a dozen games remaining for both sides. New York faces the Blue Jays in their series finale tonight to potentially cut into the deficit even more, before beginning an eight-game homestand on Thursday that will be comprised of a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox and a four-game series against the division rival Boston Red Sox. After the Red Sox series, the Yankees’ final series of the regular season is on the road against the Baltimore Orioles.

Fans can take their chances on the secondary market to purchase Yankees playoff tickets, but the purchasing customers don’t control those prices. According to TiqIQ.com, Yankees tickets on the secondary market for the postseason are very much on the pricier side (all prices listed below are ‘If Necessary’ since the Yankees have not officially clinched a playoff spot just yet).

The Wild Card home game at Yankee Stadium has an average price of $192.69 with a get-in price of $65, should the Bronx Bombers not catch the Blue Jays in the AL East. If the Yankees were to survive in the one-game playoff, the prices for the ALDS and ALCS rise significantly. The average price of the three potential home games at Yankee Stadium for the ALDS is $327.03, the most expensive of which coming on October 9 (second home game), having an average price of $359.75 and a get-in price of $56.

As expected, it gets even more expensive for the ALCS. The four-game average for Yankees home games is $768.81, with the potential Game 7 being the most expensive on October 24. That game carries a whopping average ticket price of $956.84, although the get-in price is much more reasonable, being $107.

Yankees playoff tickets on Ticketmaster through the Yankees website would give customers total control of how much is being spent towards purchasing for playoff baseball seats. Securing postseason tickets without having the market dictate the prices on a per game basis is a suggested practice, especially considering the fact that Yankees.com has featured more affordable pricing on countless regular season games over the course of the year.

In any case, barring any sort of monumental collapse, Yankees playoff baseball looks like it will be back for the first time since 2012, and Yankee Stadium will be rocking each and every night they host a game, as always.

Filed Under: Self-Promotion Tagged With: TiqIQ

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