Cubs release 2018 season-ticket pricing

Cubs season-ticket holders received their invoices for 2018 by email Thursday and there was good news, at least for bleacher season-ticket holders.

My 2018 price per ticket is $3,920. That’s about a five and a half percent decrease from the price for 2017, which was $4,161.84.

Here’s what the Cubs said in their email about pricing for 2018:

On the heels of our third consecutive NLCS appearance, there continues to be significant demand for Cubs tickets. For the 2018 season, we’re largely maintaining pricing levels with an average increase under 1 percent across the ballpark. Following careful review and thoughtful analysis, pricing in some sections of the ballpark will decrease while other sections will increase up to 9 percent. Our goal is to ensure all Season Ticket Holders continue to experience tremendous value on their investment in our team.

It would seem to me that the pricing in 2017, which went up considerably from 2016 (about a 20 percent increase, at least for bleachers), was the cost of winning a World Series championship. But in 2017, with inconsistent play from the team over the first half of the season, market pricing for tickets was well below season-ticket levels and far below what tickets were selling for at the box office, and that trend lasted much of the season. This new pricing level appears to be an attempt to do exactly what it says in the quote: give STH “tremendous value” while also pricing single-game tickets at a realistic level.

About single-game pricing compared to season-ticket pricing, the Cubs say:

... you will again receive a lower price per ticket compared to single game buyers and access to postseason tickets. Along with championship-caliber baseball, you will continue to enjoy an enhanced gameday experience with more space, amenities and concessions as part of the ongoing restoration and expansion of Wrigley Field.

Here is the game split and pricing (not including amusement taxes) for bleacher season tickets for 2018:

There are 19 other similar splits shown on the customized web page the Cubs sent to all season-ticket holders, far too many to show here, and since I don’t have previous years’ pricing levels for anything other than bleachers, I can’t specifically tell which types of tickets have gone up and which have gone down. If you’re a season-ticket holder somewhere other than the bleachers and know the difference between your 2017 and 2018 pricing, please post in the comments.

Here is the complete 2018 schedule showing the six pricing levels and which level is in effect for each date. You’ll notice that unlike some previous years, pricing is the same for all tickets. In some years past, bleacher tickets have been in a different pricing tier than bowl tickets for some games.

For comparison, here are the schedules showing the dates for the combination plan and double play plan:

The combination plan has had more than 60 dates in recent seasons. For 2018 there are only 56 dates listed, as there are more weekday afternoon games next season. This should result in a price decrease for almost everyone who holds a combo plan.

The double play plan is no longer being sold, but those who are in it were grandfathered in and permitted to keep it. There are 25 dates listed above; in some recent years there have been only 18 or 19 dates in the double play plan, thus some holders of this plan might see a price increase.

BCB reader Lifetime Cubs Fan, who’s done great work with pricing on the various attendance posts over the course of the season, is working on something regarding ticket pricing looking forward to 2018. When he sends that to me I’ll be making another post regarding 2018 ticket pricing.