The GAA has launched its official season ticket for 2013, pitched at a price point of €85 for adults and €10 for juveniles. The pricing of a season ticket can have a major impact on fans’ engagement with a sporting organisation. This is a key element of what commercial partners are seeking access to.
The GAA ticket gives admission to all Allianz National League games, Club finals played at Croke Park and the opening All Ireland Championship game of each purchasers selected county.
There are additional benefits including a guaranteed ticket which may be purchased in advance of each subsequent round of the Championship and different offer made from time to time.
Given the unpredictable nature of each counties progress at Championship level the structure of the GAA ticket is smart in that it banks income from a core group and gives advantage based on loyalty when it comes to the ‘gold dust’ time of an All Ireland Final.
Supporters are guaranteed the right to buy a ticket for the final so long as they have attended 60% of the season’s matches leading up to it.
The cost and the emphasis on encouraging youth attendance is admirable and stands strong comparison to the best of other sports.  A season ticket to Leinster Rugby costs more than three times the amount while the cost of the cheapest season ticket to watch Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium is €1,250.
The best model for fans is without question in Germany where one third of the 36,000 season tickets for Bayern Munich, in a brand new 69,000 seat stadium, cost only €125. This is subsidised by the sale of 2,100 corporate seats for a price of over €9,000.
A strong and loyal attendance and bond with the fans is one of the key areas any commercial partner will look for in a sports relationship and the pricing of multi game tickets like this is a key driver of how an organisation is perceived and what it can deliver.
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