Toronto Maple Leafs Ticket Prices Spark Major Fan Frustration
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs fans are none too pleased with the team's ticket prices, and have taken to social media to vent their frustrations after a broken promise from MLSE.
It's been a thorn in the side of Maple Leafs fans for seemingly years, as the ticket prices from the team are often quite expensive, at a premium, and tend to find themselves at the mercy of resellers who decide to skyrocket value after bulk purchasing seats.
This season is no different, and when the team released their tickets to purchase on August 20th, fans were quick to notice a huge increase:
A lot of the ire has been directed towards MLSE as well as CEO Keith Pelley for his insistence on bringing in fans but then backtracking and ending up charging more:
Why Fans Are Calling Out the Rising Costs
It doesn't help that the Maple Leafs were ranked as the most expensive team to watch (for a family of four) with the combination of outrageous ticket prices, concessions and parking; not to mention any memorabilia.
According to Statista, the Maple Leafs average cost for a family of four is $703.88 USD; or $978.45; nearly $1000; that's more than a full day at Canada's Wonderland for a family of four, with parking, gas and food included.
If you look at Ticketmaster now, for Toronto's game against the Utah Mammoth on November 5th, the ticket prices for standing room only goes for $109.15, meanwhile a seat in the deep 100's will run you $346 per seat.
If you take parking into consideration ($20), concessions ($100), tickets (standing room; $436) and memorabilia ($125 on the low end) you're looking at a $681 total for a family of four to go to a game to stand on their feet for three hours.
Now if you were to add seating in the 300's section, a maximum of three tickets can be purchased for $645; so you're looking at nearly $1000 for only a family of three, so it's getting absurd.
What It Means for the Atmosphere at Scotiabank Arena
Pricing out the passion seems to be the name of the game for Pelley and MLSE. The suits and higher-ups who are able to purchase the luxury seats (or be given them as a perk) are happy to be there sure, but it really dissolves any type of atmosphere at games.
You want a rowdy crowd who is cheering, screaming, booing, chanting, whatever it takes to show their love for the Leafs, and to rattle the opponents. How can you get that atmosphere when half of the crowd is sitting on their hands?
What of the players too? They look to the crowd for support and motivation and it must be disheartening to see them try and amp up the crowd only to look into an audience of mildly entertained fans.
At one time, going to a Leafs game albeit a tad pricey, was still a manageable and feasible event for a family or even individual to go to.
But with the increased pricing with tickets, coupled with a team who has disappointed year after year, it might not be the hottest ticket in town now.
But Pelley won't care, as long as his pockets run just a little bit deeper.
