After Bryce Harper deal, Phillies ticket prices surge
Tickets to the Philadelphia Phillies’ first home game of the 2019 season just got much more expensive, thanks to the team’s record deal with new franchise cornerstone Bryce Harper.
The “get-in” price for the cheapest available ticket for the Phillies’ home opener against the Atlanta Braves on March 28 jumped to $117 on Friday, hours after Harper reportedly agreed to a 13-year deal worth a record $330 million, according to secondary market platform TickPick. The jump marked a 166 percent increase compared to the price before Harper’s signing, when the cheapest available ticket could be purchased for just $44.
“Unlike the NBA, which is uniquely superstar driven, Major League Baseball’s ticket prices are more team-centric. We generally see ticket prices fluctuate based on team success and not player acquisition,” Jack Slingland, TickPick’s director of client relations, told FOX Business. “Bryce Harper is one of those multi-generational players, with a unique star power that drives ticket sales.”
Tickets to the Phillies’ home opener have an average listing price of $221 on the platform. Overall, average listing prices for Phillies tickets across the board have risen 8 percent since yesterday, according to TickPick.
The Phillies are expected to formally announce Harper’s signing on Saturday, USA Today reported. His $330 million contract set a new overall record for Major League Baseball, surpassing Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million deal with the Miami Marlins in 2014 and Manny Machado’s $300 million with the San Diego Padres earlier this offseason.
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“Even with the Manny Machado signing, we didn’t see much movement. Given that Harper has been a media darling since his high school days, interest has ballooned. Harper has made the Phillies one of the hottest tickets in all of baseball,” Slingland added.