What's Acceptable from a Business Standpoint for the Twins in 2017?

[Teflon]

Knowing that the groundwork needed to improve the baseball operations will require some time to produce results but also knowing that the team has lost nearly 40% of their ticket sales since 2010, what, from a business standpoint, should be the minimum expectations in 2017? 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Since season tickets are sold in the offseason, expectations for 2017 should pretty modest, regardless of what happens with management.

 

I gotta think the Pohlads should be happy if 2017 attendance only dropped 5% from 2016 attendance. 1.8 million would put them in the bottom 20% of teams in MLB.

[Thrylos]

I think that if the Twins go for a full-scale rebuild on both their field team, coaches and front office, and sell it as "we know we suck, now we are starting new, let's help the new blood build champions", they will sell more tickets next season regardless their record.

[ashbury]

I think that if the Twins go for a full-scale rebuild on both their field team, coaches and front office, and sell it as "we know we suck, now we are starting new, let's help the new blood build champions", they will sell more tickets next season regardless their record.

The Houston Astros and their legendary 0-rating for one of their ballgames on TV during their "back up the truck" rebuild would like to have a word with you.

[jimmer]

 

I think that if the Twins go for a full-scale rebuild on both their field team, coaches and front office, and sell it as "we know we suck, now we are starting new, let's help the new blood build champions", they will sell more tickets next season regardless their record.

I doubt that.

[Rosterman]

The tough part is that they can't be much of a change in ticket pricing, yet you need to put as many fans as possible into the stadium. Boils down to the 15,000 fans paying x-amount of tickets...is that better than getting 25,000 fans paying a lesser x-amount into the stands (and feeling it is affordable) and spending money on food, jerseys and such. The fewer people that come, the fewer people look at the ads.

 

And then you have radio and television. If people tune out because of overall bad play, you take a hit there. Then you have naming rights people getting uncomfortable.

 

But it will all start with the season ticket package, and then figuring out ways to get fans to purchase single game tickets.

 

I'm not sure how backward they can go on ticket prices. But you don't sell food without attendees. And even if you sell season tickets, you end up taking a hit if there are extensive no-shows.

[Willihammer]

I think its pretty well established that previous-season win totals are the best predictor of season ticket sales. So I doubt much can be done about next year's season ticket sales even if Falvey builds a postseason team over the winter.

 

I'm guessing Jim Pohlad has already accounted for a further decline in 2017 season ticket sales and is looking at an improvement starting in 2018, based on a better W-L in 2017.

[Kwak]

The 2012 season showed a sizable reduction in payroll, with a further cut for 2013. There are things that can be done to adjust for fewer tickets sold. 

[old nurse]

A new stadium with a winning team was bound to be a success in Minneapolis.  That the attendance stayed high like it has is a testament to the attraction still of the stadium. It only took one year of bad baseball before there was a drop of a million from the peak attendance in the 90's.  The team in 2017 will draw as well as their record. Start winning, they will start drawing.