Season ticket sales/renewals have dropped way off

[Coldrain85]

I suspected that season ticket sales have been on the decline as of late, but I got proof this morning when I saw the email from the 49ers stating that "lower level seats are going fast". I was like, wow, you mean there are lower level seats available? That never used to be the case until just the past few years. I checked Ticketmaster and sure enough there are all kinds of seats available right now. And I'm talking decent seats, not just horrible seats in upper reserved. Go look for yourself. I check every year when tickets go on sale to the public, and I have NEVER seen the availability that I'm seeing right now. I guess it's a great time to become a STH.

Good end zone seats in LB07.

Several gold and blue tier singles. Usually I see one or two, but this year there are a bunch. Current STH's are obviously throwing back extra seats.

Current STH's are climbing the seniority list at the fastest rate since the early 1980's. Anyone who has purchased ST's in the past few years could not have come in at a better time.

[Teke]

I wouldn't have cancelled my seats had the team not held the policy of making STHs pay for their tickets before they know where they will be sitting. I wasn't about to pay another 1200 for tickets way up in the nosebleeds again and they wouldn't tell me where I was going to sit the following season so I cancelled.

Something that also annoyed me was during the season (I was a STH during the 2007 season) we played a game against the Ravens in which no one wanted to go see them play. Lo and behold, even though the team was sold out of every game, they had tickets available in prime locations. I got annoyed because I knew these were tickets the team withheld from the fans every other game.

So now I just get my tickets through STHs. It's really a different experience to be in the upper section, really not a good experience. The crowd doesn't seem as loud, you can barely see the numbers on the players' backs. Being in the lower section on the side where the non stands side is the place to be.

[ninersrule]

I have ST since 2007 and we used to have five seats but changed to four this year. As for the policy known above we paid for our seats and asked for a transfer down but frankly we would have stayed put if we couldn't move, lo and behold we were moved to even better seats seven rows from the field.

[Eng74]

In 2000/2001 when the dot coms fell their were a lot of seats that became open since they were used for the companys. With the way the economy is going I can see alot of people and companys again that did not renew for this season. As for the niners holding tickets back, I bet there were a lot of season ticket holders that put their tickets up for the 49ers to sell.

[Coldrain85]

I wouldn't have cancelled my seats had the team not held the policy of making STHs pay for their tickets before they know where they will be sitting. I wasn't about to pay another 1200 for tickets way up in the nosebleeds again and they wouldn't tell me where I was going to sit the following season so I cancelled.

That does suck. When I fill out my relocation form I'm very specific as to what I will accept. My parameters are narrow and I don't necessarily expect to be moved, which is what happened this time around. I have a piggybacked pair in LB14 Rows L/M. I doubt I will be able to upgrade from there, but then again I have only had these ST's since 2007 and I never expected to do that well in such a short period of time. Like I said, ticket sales have obviously decreased significantly if a STH like me with 2 years of seniority is in LB14. I really like it there. Row L is at a pretty good height above the field. If you get much closer than that the players standing on the sideline block your view. I expect to keep those seats until Candlestick is retired.

Something that also annoyed me was during the season (I was a STH during the 2007 season) we played a game against the Ravens in which no one wanted to go see them play. Lo and behold, even though the team was sold out of every game, they had tickets available in prime locations. I got annoyed because I knew these were tickets the team withheld from the fans every other game.

What do you mean by "tickets available"? Were they actually selling tickets at cost through Ticketmaster, or was it the Ticketexchange where tickets are sold above face value?

So now I just get my tickets through STHs. It's really a different experience to be in the upper section, really not a good experience. The crowd doesn't seem as loud, you can barely see the numbers on the players' backs. Being in the lower section on the side where the non stands side is the place to be.

I hate it up there too. I sat in UB24 once with a friend who has seats there. It's considered to be the "best" section in the upper level, and it was still too far away for me. I've always sat downstairs and I couldn't get used to the perspective from up there.

[Peter Proud]

I $100.00 deposit down for 2 seats to get myself on the STH Priority List because I thought that the STH next to my seats in row D might not renew and hoped I'd get those 2 seats. They would have been directly in front of my row E seats (the higher #'ed seats.

When they called me, they said those 2 seats weren't available but they did offer me 2 seats in row E next to my existing row E seats at the lower #'ed end...and those are right behind my existing row D seats so it's just as good.

Now I just have to pay for them.....payment is due the 15th of May. That's also why you don't see them listed on the 49ers website for Lower Level seats.

[Teke]

That does suck. When I fill out my relocation form I'm very specific as to what I will accept. My parameters are narrow and I don't necessarily expect to be moved, which is what happened this time around. I have a piggybacked pair in LB14 Rows L/M. I doubt I will be able to upgrade from there, but then again I have only had these ST's since 2007 and I never expected to do that well in such a short period of time. Like I said, ticket sales have obviously decreased significantly if a STH like me with 2 years of seniority is in LB14. I really like it there. Row L is at a pretty good height above the field. If you get much closer than that the players standing on the sideline block your view. I expect to keep those seats until Candlestick is retired.

That's an awesome section. I sat in LB16 Row 1 once, those were the best seats in the stadium by far. I will be looking for more in that section this season.



What do you mean by "tickets available"? Were they actually selling tickets at cost through Ticketmaster, or was it the Ticketexchange where tickets are sold above face value?

They went on sale via ticketmaster. They weren't available until about 1 week before the game. I took it as a slap in the face, because I know they hold these tickets out for the opposing team's, player's wives and whatnot. They were good seats too. I guess I just took it a little personal because my season tickets were in a really bad section with a blocked view. I remember when I sat in LB16, I saw a few of the player's wives and family. I saw Sopoaga's wife, with kid and several members of the family. They took up about 6-8 seats. Most of them weren't even into the game at all. They left halfway through. What a waste of the most awesome seats in the stadium. The other family I saw was Parrish's mother, and what looked like his girlfriend (19 y/o blonde, smoking hot). They seemed pretty into the game, but also left halfway through.



I hate it up there too. I sat in UB24 once with a friend who has seats there. It's considered to be the "best" section in the upper level, and it was still too far away for me. I've always sat downstairs and I couldn't get used to the perspective from up there.

To be honest, I wouldn't mind not being so close to the action if the stadium actually rocked up there. But it seems like if you want adrenaline pumping noise, to the point where you're screaming as loud as you can and you still can't hear your own voice, you can only get that in the lower section. I've sat all over the stadium, and found the loudest is near the endzones. But the problem with the endzones is you just might not see a whole lot of action in a game depending on your luck. It's a give and take, I wouldn't mind sitting in the lower corners though.

[JonnyT]

It's interesting how everyone has a different point of view regarding seats at 'the stick'. I had lower reserve seats for years and 3 years ago actually moved to the upper deck. In my opinion, the lower level just does not have a good angle for watching the game. I like to be able to see the entire play/field. Upper box 26 are the best seats in the house for watching the game. I will agree that the crowd is louder down below, but if you are there to see the game you can't beat upper box at midfield on the Niners side.

[SupermanZ11]

It's interesting how everyone has a different point of view regarding seats at 'the stick'. I had lower reserve seats for years and 3 years ago actually moved to the upper deck. In my opinion, the lower level just does not have a good angle for watching the game. I like to be able to see the entire play/field. Upper box 26 are the best seats in the house for watching the game. I will agree that the crowd is louder down below, but if you are there to see the game you can't beat upper box at midfield on the Niners side.


i agree with you about sitting in the upper level sideline view....but that's my preference to watching games. i'm sure lower section endzone seats are loud and rowdy, but i prefer to watch the entire game, not just when the ball is in that end of the field.

[RaiderHater]

It's interesting how everyone has a different point of view regarding seats at 'the stick'. I had lower reserve seats for years and 3 years ago actually moved to the upper deck. In my opinion, the lower level just does not have a good angle for watching the game. I like to be able to see the entire play/field. Upper box 26 are the best seats in the house for watching the game. I will agree that the crowd is louder down below, but if you are there to see the game you can't beat upper box at midfield on the Niners side.

yeah I happen to like the Upper Deck as well.. Im in Upper Box 38... Only 8 rows in that section.. And Im in the last row.. so I have a nice lil wall to rest my back on.. Its sweet.. I'd love to move a bit over and get closer to the 50 yard line, but I really like the folks I sit nearby... Its a nice view of the entire field..