Rip-Off Cricket

[Maroochydore]

I went to watch Sussex v Essex in the T20 last week. Tickets were £30 each plus a fee making a total of £36. In addition we had to buy children's tickets for a 3 month old and a 22 month old at £5 each.

Essex qualified for the quarter finals and play Lancashire at Old Trafford. Tickets are £12 each and £1 for children.

Is the fact that it's on Sky something to do with cheap ground prices or are Sussex just a bunch of rip-off merchants.

So having watched all the regular matches via each counties streaming service, I am now denied this facility by Sky who did not care about group games.

[pje16]

I don't go to cricket
but charging for 22 month old let alone a 3 month is farcical
£6 pound admin fee is another rip-off

I remember years ago buying 4 tickets over the phone (no internet at this time) for Phantom of the Opera at Drury Lane in London
The admin fees was 25% of the ticket price
the guy on the phone asked If I could come to the theatre (I was a handful of stops on the tube away)
and pick them as as he would waive the admin fee - what a gent - saved me a few quid
Admin fees are a con, even more so when you are buying multiple tickets

[Maroochydore]

Admin fees are a con, even more so when you are buying multiple tickets

Agree, we had 10 tickets so perhaps £60 (not sure what the admin fee was for the babies).
Add that to the £300 match tickets...won't be going to Sussex again but perhaps that's why the franchise are called Sussex Sharks.

[SalvorHardin]

I think it has a lot to do with Sussex not hosting test matches, nor T20 and ODI internationals, which are big moneyspinners for those counties that do. Sussex also doesn't host a team in The Hundred.

Consequently Sussex need to raise money through the T20 Blast. So their ticket prices are higher than Lancashire's. It's the same here in Somerset; my season ticket was roughly £38 per match (best seats though) and the same seat for the quarter-final is £43 (Somerset usually sell out or get very close to selling out every T20 match).

I've had a quick look and Yorkshire's T20 Blast pricing was similar to Lancashire. I wouldn't be surprised if the ECB pressurises the test match grounds to deliberately underprice the Blast to show up the other counties. Hundred tickets are cheaper than the Blast, that is the ones they sell rather than give away.

The Hundred is designed to kill off the Blast (Sky don't seem all that fussed). The ECB would much rather have a first class structure of 8 franchised counties, such as KP Snacks Middlesex. Down here in Ciderabad we know we're not invited to that party.

[didds]

I
I remember years ago buying 4 tickets over the phone (no internet at this time) for Phantom of the Opera at Drury Lane in London
The admin fees was 25% of the ticket price
the guy on the phone asked If I could come to the theatre (I was a handful of stops on the tube away)
and pick them as as he would waive the admin fee - what a gent - saved me a few quid
Admin fees are a con, even more so when you are buying multiple tickets

this doesnt sound the case above, but theatre "admin fees" or "levy fees" are now often charged to garner extra funds that dont fall under the show's licensing arrangements.

eg the rights holder takes X% of the ticket take. So charging an extra £1.50 (say) per seat is outside that deal .

Im not saying that is "right5" or "wrong". It is just what i ununderstand.

As for the likes of ticketsource etc., I guess their markup/charge is where they get their profit.

didds

[didds]

£30 for 4 hours of cricket does seem steep... but I suppose one could reflect that against 1.5 hours of cinema for £10 or more. So on a cost per minute basis that's commensurate.

( I wouldn''t pay £30 for the cricket either - and i appreciate its the reflection against a test ground's pricing that galls in particular).

didds

[BigB]

Coincidentally I was at Lords Friday evening with friends for the last Middlesex home T20 group game, v Somerset. £30 each, no admin fees, though I'm already registered with MCC for buying tickets/joining_ballots, so I'm not sure if there'd have been a fee for a 1 time guest (I don't think so).

The game was already dead, with Middlesex out. A strong Somerset won the toss and elected to bowl. We groaned, as Somerset making a big score could have been fun. Middlesex struggling at about 70-5, Somerset did well to get them up to 160 off the 20 overs, then did well not to chase them down too quickly. Then it started to go wrong in the last 4 overs and Somerset got tied down. Overton came in and smote 2 sixes in 2 balls, both impressive, and they scraped home with 2 balls to spare.

Cricket average, game management by Somerset above average (c. 12000 punters to keep entertained).

Given the large amount of drink (and some food) being purchased at sharp prices, I'd guess they could give the tickets away for nothing or a nominal fee and make alot more money if they could get the gate up by 5000. I wonder if that's the thinking in Lancs/Yorks.

[servodude]

Given the large amount of drink (and some food) being purchased at sharp prices, I'd guess they could give the tickets away for nothing or a nominal fee and make alot more money if they could get the gate up by 5000. I wonder if that's the thinking in Lancs/Yorks.

The relationship between the running of the venue and the catering can be quite complex

[Maroochydore]

Just to update : Sussex CCC tell me that there are no admin fees only a £5 one-off fee if tickets are posted out rather than via e-mail.

So my apologies to Sussex CCC for slagging them off.