Charlotte FC fans upset over ticket price hikes
Team says it's sensitive to fan complaints, though pricing trends are in line with rest of MLS; Plus: Bender loaned out, and Bronicos are expecting baby
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Rising season ticket prices coupled with shrinking resale value concerns some Charlotte FC fans; Team says price increases are ‘sensitive, informed decisions’
Sections of Bank of America Stadium showing empty seats at Charlotte FC games vs. New York Red Bulls (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Charlotte FC and its fanbase have seen their share of grumbling over ticket costs from the beginning. Charlotte FC was the first team in Major League Soccer to require season ticket holders to purchase a permanent seat license — with the exception of the supporters’ section and another area in the opposite end zone. Charlotte FC was reportedly among Major League Soccer’s top three most expensive season tickets, too. Concession prices at Bank of America draw complaints as well.
Every year since, around the time renewals go out, there’s been grumbling. It came after an average of a 4% increase in season ticket prices after year one. Last year, there was some dissatisfaction with increases on club-level season ticket prices, where tickets climbed by a predetermined 4% as part of long-term contracts. (Prices for non-club-level season ticket holders stayed the same.)
Two weeks ago, after the club sent renewal notices that reflected an average of 6% increases for season ticket holders — which the team says aligns with the rest of MLS — there’s been a heightened concern among many in the fanbase over the value of their economic investment.
“The [original] pricing may have been expensive to MLS standards, but in relation to NFL/Panthers, I still felt the value was good,” said Shane Worrell, who has season tickets to both the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. “I was able to get face value when I had to sell my tickets to friends and fans. This year, it has been impossible to get face value on the re-sale market. I go to most games, but this is an issue going forward regardless.”
Many season ticket holders are completing three-year payment plans on their PSLs. More than half of club-level season ticket holders signed four-year contracts, which means they will face decisions on renewal after next year. David Bakke, for one, is planning not to renew next year.
Bakke said he loves the team and appreciates “that Tepper ponied up $325 million to jump the line and get us a team,” but still resents paying a PSL fee, doesn’t think the product on the field justifies costs, believes concessions are expensive, and said outside of the Miami game, “I can’t resell my seats on Ticketmaster for more than 35% of cost.”
“Playing in an NFL Stadium is not going to allow them to manage supply and demand at all,” Bakke said. “The shine is wearing off.”
Mike DeGaray calls it a “total racket” to be a season ticket holder.
“Not worth it at all,” he said. “Tickets are readily available for less on game day than what season ticket holders pay.”
Some fans say they can’t give away their PSLs, which go as high as $550 per seat. A cursory look at the team’s PSL marketplace shows that 46 PSLs are currently for sale for just $250, which is the transaction fee required to use the site.
“The PSLs continue to be a slap in the face for fans,” Matt Lawson said. “People around me get in the games for much cheaper by buying single-game tickets. Everyone knows this, so the PSLs carry no value. I could not sell them now if I tried.”
Some of the most vocal fans are ones who’ve seen prices climb the most, but it’s also because they have the best seats. Fans like Cesar Alfaro, who sits in Row 1A in section 135, has seen his tickets rise 45% since the inaugural 2022 season, from $1,350 per seat for the year to $1,970.
“The only thing I want is to support my team, but I feel like they are pushing me out,” he said.
Team says price increases are ‘sensitive, informed decisions’
Several season ticket holders approached The Ledger late last season and early this year with concerns over ticket costs. Some two dozen readers responded to a Ledger query either by word of mouth or social media this week, after fan forums saw an increase in complaints about pricing. The question is, though, how is this affecting Charlotte FC’s overall bottom line?
The short answer is the team won’t know until after Sept. 27, when season ticket packages auto-renew for those who don’t opt out. So far, team president Joe LaBue surmises, things look OK.
“The first 48 hours after we sent out invoices, I think we fielded less than 100 calls,” LaBue said.
If you’ve hung around Charlotte FC’s ticket offices for any length of time in the last two weeks, you’ve heard the celebratory “renew kazoo.” Ticket reps are encouraged to blow a kazoo every time another patron re-ups or purchases a new package.
Out of 29 teams in MLS, Charlotte FC is still second in attendance with an average of 34,334 fans at Bank of America Stadium, trailing Atlanta United’s 46,372 average at Mercedes Benz, which is another stadium shared between NFL and MLS teams. While it’s easy to see gaping hopes in the club and lower levels at Charlotte FC games this season, LaBue said no-show rates have been similar between this year and last, despite dipping after the inaugural season.
He said Charlotte FC is in the top third of the league in average ticket price now, not the top three. He said resale value for premium seats among the first few rows and in the supporters section is still robust.
“If someone is going to value their season ticket on resale, then yeah, it’s a tougher discussion in some cases,” said LaBue, who said MLS teams across the board struggle with resale prices, with the possible exception of Miami. “What we can control is game experience, atmosphere and benefits to season ticket members.”
Among the benefits to Charlotte FC season ticket holders are free tickets to one road game each season, free Apple TV subscriptions, invitations to exclusive team events like a recent meet-and-greet with signee Tim Ream, swag and more.
LaBue said a perk he’s looking forward to sharing is priority playoff tickets. Charlotte FC is in 6th place in the Eastern Conference and well-positioned to secure a place in the best-of-three Round One, which would guarantee a home playoff game.
LaBue points out the club did not raise prices to non-club members last year despite “the [Lionel] Messi impact.” And he pointed to the team’s increased investments in the Atrium Health Performance Park practice facility and its Crown Legacy roster and supporting staff. This year, Charlotte FC added Liel Abada as a designated player, and despite falling short of some top-notch targets during the summer transfer window, LaBue credited club owner David Tepper for his willingness to spend.
While making his points, LaBue still emphasized he knows “these are sensitive decisions, informed decisions.”
“We are not some corporate giant that doesn’t understand consumers,” said LaBue, who has worked for Tepper Sports & Entertainment since 2011 and is on a first-name basis with a host of Charlotte FC fans, including several who reached out for this article. “I’ve been in customer service and ticketing my entire career. I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly. I’ve been a part of decisions I didn’t agree with, and I had to bear the brunt of it on the front lines. Personally, in my seat, I don’t want to do that. Neither does ownership. Nobody at Charlotte FC wants to do that. But at the same time, you need to grow the business.”
First-time fanbase still evolving
Multiple fans interviewed for this article said they adapted to higher prices by splitting their season tickets with friends, family members or business partners. Those decisions would seem like natural ebbs and flows for a first-time Major League Soccer city, whose fans are learning what they can and want to afford in an 18-home game season that lasts from late February until October.
Believe it or not, several responses to our query about pricing changes were positive.
“It’s probably not the popular vote, but I don’t have an issue with the increase,” said Rory McCaughna, who has encouraged 12 friends to join him with season tickets in Section 224. “The product on the field continues to improve, but yet people want something for nothing with their tickets. It’s human nature for people to complain. I’ll let them do it. We’ll hold down Section 224 strong with our season-ticket-holder friends.”
Bender heads to USL team in Tampa on loan
Ben Bender seeing rare action with Charlotte FC this season. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
Fan favorite midfielder Ben Bender has struggled to get minutes with the first team, coming off knee surgery last fall, leading many to wonder about his future with the club. Charlotte FC gave an indication about that with the announcement this morning that it was sending Bender out on loan to Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship. The club has already picked up his option for 2025 and is using this loan to get him some sorely needed playing time.
Bender has played in just six MLS games this year and started two. Outside of a start in a Leagues Cup loss in Philadelphia, Bender hasn’t seen significant minutes in an MLS game for Charlotte since June, when he started back-to-back games against Philadelphia and Houston.
Bender, 23, is the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Super Draft from the University of Maryland He suffered a meniscus root tear in his knee trying to avoid a Philadelphia defender last Sept. 20. After first trying to rehab the injury, he ultimately underwent surgery that required drilling a hole in his tibia, six weeks on crutches and an extensive recovery.
The club preferred the loan to Tampa over a stint with the Charlotte Independence or Crown Legacy of MLS Next Pro to get him into more competitive games at the USL Championship level.
Baby news for Bronicos!
Midfielder Brandt Bronico and his wife, Rebecca, took to social media this week to announce the impending arrival of their first child in February. The Bronicos met at UNC Charlotte, where they both played soccer. Imagine the talents of the next generation.
Up Next: Bye
Charlotte FC is off this week during an international break before returning to action on Sept. 14 in Montreal. The club has a strong contingent of players participating in international competition this weekend, including Karol Swiderski for Poland, Jere Uronen for Finland, Liel Abada for Israel, Tim Ream for the United States and Bill Tuiloma for New Zealand.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her third season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!
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