Good Stuff

(as seen in the Sporting News magazine dated 12/08/08, with Clinton Portis on the cover)

The San Francisco Giants have signed a deal with software company QCue that enables them to change single-game ticket prices at any time. QCue's formula plugs in factors such as team performance, opponent, starting pitchers, weather conditions, day of the week and gate giveaways.

The Giants will use those results to raise or lower ticket prices as late as the morning of a game for 2,000 seats in AT&T Park's outfield bleachers and upper deck, typically the last seats to sell.

Pretty neat idea, huh?

This way, if the market says this is a game people want to see they have to pay more (if they waited until the last minute) or it could mean very reasonable prices for a game you thought might be worth checking out when the masses didn't think so. Sometimes it's all a matter of convenience.

And for the San Francisco Giants to come up with a way that may make it possible for some casual fans -who ordinarily wouldn't consider going to a game, 'cause they can see it on television- to decide it's time to check out a game, that's good stuff.

(as a courtesy to The Sporting News, if you'd like to sign up for the best sports business coverage anywhere, go to sportsbusinessjournal.com. )


Kevin Marquez