Utah Jazz Season Ticket Holders reporting price increases of up to 150%

[UPDATE]

Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune was able to get the seating map of the new sections. See below.

[Original Story]

Utah Jazz Season Ticket holders were surprised by one of the Utah Jazz’s New Year’s Resolutions: Increased Revenue. Many Season Ticket holders have taken to twitter to report price increases as high as 150% more than what they paid last season. Many will remember that the Utah Jazz had another price increase last year.

This prepared email body went to many a Utah Jazz Season Ticket Holder this morning [bold added]:

Dear Season Ticket Member

Thank you for being a loyal season ticket member and your continued support of the Utah Jazz. #TeamIsEverything

Later today, you will receive your season ticket link for 2019-20 with detailed information about your account. Please remember that you are automatically enrolled for season tickets unless you decide to opt out by Jan. 31, 2019. Season tickets are valuable because of the guaranteed access it provides you to all the games at the best available prices.

Next year, the per game cost for season tickets in your current seating location will be $30 reflecting an annual adjustment based on pricing in comparative NBA markets.

This price for an NBA game remains very affordable and compares favorably with other entertainment offerings. With market adjustments and dynamic pricing for all seats, ticket revenue contributes to our shared commitment of raising a championship banner at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

This approach also fights back against price gouging on the secondary market. By better regulating prices, we hope to preserve a fair pricing structure for all guests regardless of where they sit.

While it is true that Utah’s affordability for season tickets and tickets in general is one of the best in the league, that doesn’t make the price increase any better. If anything this increases the sea level and makes all the boats (NBA tickets around the league) rise. Eliminating one of the NBA’s best deals hurts common fans as more fans find themselves priced out of watching their team rise. This issue was recently brought to light by Damian Lillard who criticized the Golden State Warriors for leaving Oakland to go to San Francisco across the bay and expensive ticket prices. They have seen ticket prices surge as of late due to their success.

Unfortunately, Utah has not seen the same level of success. While the jury is still out if last year’s Utah roster was a sign of things to come or a fluke (Utah is 2 games under .500 entering 2019), announcing ticket increases in the midst of a disappointing stretch probably isn’t the best PR move. Most fans are understanding that prices have to change, but the PR of doing it this way through unseen emails to season ticket holders and a lack of pounding the beach ahead of a painful hit to your most core consumer (large families and younger fans) probably isn’t going to do Utah any favors.

Below is a chart of the Utah Jazz’s price increases from last year. It appears that a lot of season ticket holders who are citing the most significant price increases had their sections merged into a higher bracket. Last year there were 7 different price segments for the upper bowl of Vivint Smart Home Arena. This year that appears to have been reduced to 4. See below. It also appears that section J may have been combined with Section I but I cannot confirm that. Some of these sections may be joined with the wrong section as it’s hard to pin down which sections have been combined and how they were combined.

You can see the upper bowl is the hardest hit. Upper Bowlers say increases of at least 33% and as high as 150%.

Here is what many fans have had to say about the increases.

Have you been hit hard by the season ticket increases? Tell us your story in the comments.