[brsteg]

Indy 500 Ticket prices are going up again for 2019, as most look to see another $5 increase.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...500/690959002/

[i love dirt track racing]

Looking forward to my 32 years at the indy 500 next year. Have fun and enjoy all the great things that we all love. Thanks.

[Rapid Rick]

I attended my 51st this year. The last 12 have been on the mounds in turn 2. Nice to spread out, kick your shoes off and relax in your favorite lawn chair. With the jumbo TVs I can follow the race as well as in the Vista. Forty bucks not bad either and this year a guy stopped me in line; sold me infield tix for 20. Give it a try; I will never go back to the stands.

[ronmil]

Next year will be my 55th consecutive, 52 years in the same Paddock seats. If I watched from the infield I would resemble a lobster by the end of the day!

[ISF]

Hmmmm. Sounds like some of you got off pretty easy. Our Indy 500 tickets went up $15 per ticket for 2019. I guess that ticket price realignment phase we endured a few years ago which saw our seats go up something like $40 per ticket in 3 years wasn't near enough.

I won't get into specifics as to how many years we've supported the 500 'cause it's paltry in comparison to how long some of ya'll been attending. The past 5 in a row were the best races we ever seen at Indy but in the infinite wisdom of the powers that be who saw fit to change the cars to the degree that this years' 500 was a veritable bore in comparison. In regards to the ticket price increase I reckon the Speedway needs to enhance their cash flow seein's how they're buying up some pretty pricey real estate along Georgetown Road.

[hoosier race fan]

I would agree that the previous 5 editions of the 500 were fantastic, which along with the excitement around the 100th running, has led to an increase in ticket sales. Upon seeing that sales are up in spite of ticket price increases in years past, the speedway probably wants to capitalize on the opportunity to increase prices and raise their revenues. If the quality of the racing diminishes as it did this year, combined with a price increase that will drive some buyers away, it could lead to a substantial decrease in sales in the near future. Tweaking the current aero package may be in the works anyway, but if they want to sustain their ticket sales despite the price hike, they need to return to the style and quality of racing that was present with the previous package.

[ISF]

Our seats have increased just over 61% since we renewed for 2013 which figures out to an average yearly increase of over 10% per year through the 2019 race. The reality of the situation is quickly approaching the point that it's nearly impossible to have that much fun, or in other words the value received is not equal to the monetary commitment.

Please spare us the standard reply that no one is forcing us to purchase the tickets. That's obvious and I'm sure there are dozens, if not hundreds, who will happily take our place. We just don't particularly enjoy the distinct feeling that we're being gouged, especially since this year's 500 was a colossal bore compared to those of the recent past.

[jjones752]

I guess everyone's perspective is different, but I wouldn't characterize this year's race as a "colossal bore"; sure, compared to the DW-12 era it wasn't quite as exciting but just watching Rossi on the restarts was plenty intense. I think once the guys figure out how to drive them, and with a couple of tweaks to the aero package there will be plenty of action with the new rigs. Look at how awful the Honda and Chevy aero packages were strewing parts around the street courses the first year, but they got that figured out. The key is being willing to adjust on the fly. As far as ticket prices go, I think it's still the best value going for a major sporting event. I can't come close to being able to afford Super Bowl tickets, can you?

[ronmil]

When I got my present seats in 1968 they were $20 each; for 2019 they are $125 each. I don’t consider that overpriced when you compare the price with the price rises in the rest of the economy.

[ISF]

Originally Posted by jjones752 As far as ticket prices go, I think it's still the best value going for a major sporting event. I can't come close to being able to afford Super Bowl tickets, can you?

If we really wanted to go to the SB we could and we're not rich by any stretch of the imagination. We'd certainly have to plan ahead and compensate. It would be a 1 time happening because of the nature of the competition requiring a certain degree of connection to one of the 2 competing franchises. It's a moot point given our disenchantment with professional stick & ball sports because it's never going to happen and we have no regrets about that.

Isn't it a huge stretch to compare the two? As much as I hate to say it the 500 is not even close to being in the same category as the SB in regards to overall public and corporate interest and media coverage, not to mention the gambling aspect that the SB enjoys. 103.4 million people watched the SB this past February and the ratings were down substantially from 2017 where over 111 million watched. Compare the 2018 SB to the TV ratings of the 100th running of the Indy 500 (a mere 6.4 million viewers, a difference of 97 million viewers) and the 500 is not even in the same universe. Even the 2017 college national championship game garnered 4 times the TV audience as the Indy 500.

Originally Posted by ronmil When I got my present seats in 1968 they were $20 each; for 2019 they are $125 each. I don’t consider that overpriced when you compare the price with the price rises in the rest of the economy.

The first time we actually sat in reserved seats for the 500 (1986) it cost us $40 per ticket. To renew our 2019 seats was well over 6 times that amount. It's not whether you consider that increase overprice, it's a question of whether we can have that amount of fun given the lackluster quality of the racing last May.