The variable pricing model, pioneered by the Mets and perfected by the NHL Buffalo Sabres, makes great sense, especially when teams incorporate into more than just one game series. Variable pricing can be leveraged into letting teams establish relationships with differing consumers for each stadium price level. Good first step by the Rox, let's see if it catches on for all 81 home games like you mentioned.

Seems like the Rockies are a bit behind the curve on this one. Here in Chicago, the Cubs and Sox have been doing this now for while. What I'd like to see is someone paying US to sit through a Rockies-Nationals tilt in the middle of September. Or at least giving those tickets away to youth groups, etc. Some of these games actually have negative value, imho. I know lots of those Cub games did at the end of last year.....

Dave, i like your last comment "even lowering prices when opponents don't draw" if that were the case, then i guess it seems fair.

but does any team lower their prices when bad teams come to town such as Tampa and KC and Pitt ? i know the Phils dont. i dont want to bash anyone before i know the whole story.

I guess it depends on how you look at it... if a team raises the prices by $5.00 for 20% of the tickets they expect to sell, is the alternative (A) not raising the price at all, or (B) raising the price by $1.00 for 100% of the tickets they expect to sell?

If you think of it as (A), they look like money-grubbing scum; if you look at it as (B), it looks like a reasonably market approach to pricing.

I believe that both teams receive a split of the gate. So, if a team lowered prices when a certain less popular team came to town, that less-popular team likely would object to a price-lowering as being unfair.

The Rox have had a degree of differential pricing for at least seven years, usually including four tiers of pricing. Cubs and Cards visits are always in one of the highest tiers along with opening day and fireworks games. In other April and September games were the lowest ("Value") price. Now it's only some midweek games that get the lowest price.

Past names for upper-tier prices included "Classic" and "Premium". This year is unique in that they admit to one price tier being directly related to the Yanks.

Matty fred, I think that's a good thing. Competitive revenue sharing. That gives teams a good reason to try to build a competitive ballclub with the money they receive, rather than sticking it in their pocket.