TORONTO, Ont. – If you’re a Maple Leafs or Raptors fans, it looks like you’ll have to be shelling out a little more money for tickets next season.
This after Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment confirmed they are set to hike ticket prices by 2.5 per cent for Raptors and Leafs games next year.
MLSE President Tom Anselmi told the Toronto Star the increase in price is a “cost of living increase”.
The news isn’t sitting too well with some of the sports fans in the city that 680News spoke to.
“It’s already pretty hard for the average person to go to the game, I think with the increased ticket prices I think it’s going to push out even more common kind of fans,” one fan told 680News.
“You want to have your devout fans come out and watch the game, it’s just not affordable for anybody,” said another fan. “It’s unaffordable for the common person, and I really don’t know how they pack the seats.”
Anselmi told the Star the hike reflects increased costs to the sports organization, such as player salaries, operating costs and league costs.
According to a press release from MLSE, in the past five seasons Leafs prices have been essentially flat with a net cumulative increase of only 0.5 per cent.
The release adds that the Leafs have not increased prices since the 2009-10 season, while the Raptors have actually had a cumulative decrease in price the past five seasons of 7.5 per cent.
“We are fortunate to have a loyal and committed season seat base for all of our teams,” Anselmi said. “Our costs continue to increase and we intend to continue spending on players, coaches, scouts and facilities to ensure that our teams have every resource they need at their disposal to win.”
Some seasons tickets holders reportedly received renewal invoices this week that reflected the increase.
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And this is why I’m a Sens fan and go to games in Ottawa, Buffalo, and Detroit.
Price of gas + Tickets is still cheaper than seeing a Leaf game.
I see it from both sides.
In no way are increased ticket prices justified by the teams performances. But the MLSE is forced charge what they need to to be able to be a profitable franchise.
With that being said, the Leafs alone are worth as much as the Lakers (Forbes). You don’t get much more profitable as a franchise than that!
all the more reason Toronto needs a casino….give the suits a different place to spend their money
This way they don’t renew there season tickets.
Meanwhile the salary cap is going down almost $10 Million next year…
I see we have cr*p teams and we get a cr*p announcement about raising prices on tickets.
Comment by MLSE President Tom Anselmi again is cr*p,how many times did they raise tickets in the last 8 yrs? have they justified about the increase, the only thing we kept on hearing was that we pay in US dollar,we need to increase so we can get top players and pay them top dollar ( which they have paid top dollar for a 3rd line player).
Please Anselmi go back and cry to your kids about cost of living increase.
You said the increase was .5% for the leafs and 7.5% for the Raptors and what did we get NOTHING.
Thats why i wouldn’t pay to watch the Leafs and Raptors on TV or at ACC.
I can live without both of them.
So here a few examples leafs raised ticket prices,wonder why they didn’t increase tickets this year oh ya they were on strike.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/2007/05/08/voices_maple_leafs_ticket_hike.html
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2009/02/24/8505001-sun.html
wow and you people STILL support this greedy franchise? and now they are owned by the two evilest companies in Canada you thought there wouldnt be even more increase? you people are naive.
There is no need for an increase and niether team is making the playoffs. Though my neibourgh says, ” It’s politics” and they don’t want certian Canadian teams doing to well in the playoffs.” Look at all the missed calls for the Raptors this year.
Well that’s the end of me going to raptors games. I used to go all the time but I’m not going to pay more for a team that can’t make the playoffs.
Give us some winning teams to justify the hike in prices. The owners and players should be embarrassed with the money they make and the poor quality of the product.
More money for the greedy owners and players. Let’s hope they eventually get their just rewards when the fans quit paying for their outrageous salaries and profits for playing a game.
Looks like we need the black smoke from Vatican City and Lost Island to weed out the corrupt, greedy MLSE. Shame on you. Reduce the players salaries who are making millions a season! Give hockey back to the regular people/devote fans. Unbelievable, gouging on already high ticket prices. If I were the president, I’d make the decision to lower prices by 25%, take a cut, and take a cut from all high salaried employees so that most families can afford to go see a game.
ticket prices are increasing, no way, my family loved going to the ACC to watch the games
Lets hear it GO LEAF GO, hope you move to Hamilton, So we can get a winning team in Markham.
What does it matter anyways? All the tickets are already owned by season ticket holders and corporations!
Leafs tickets could be $1,000 a seat, and people in this city would still go to see them, no matter how bad they are.