Thanks to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Pittsburgh Pirates, there are some new developments on the Ballpark Pass front. The D-Backs recently unveiled a new summer pass program, while the Pirates are extending a previous offer.
Throughout the Major League Baseball season, there have been an abundance of teams releasing Ballpark Pass subscription plans. Before the 2017 campaign began, numerous club–including the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, and Minnesota Twins–introduced Ballpark Pass plans for a monthly fee that gave fans standing room only access or assigned a specific seat, with the ticket available through the MLB Ballpark App. More teams have added to that trend since, including the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland A’s, and Kansas City Royals.
The latest club is the D-Backs, who have unveiled their own Ballpark Pass ticketing option. The D-Backs Summer Ballpark Pass will grant fans access to 25 games over the months of June and July for a price of $50, with the pass guaranteeing admission to the outfield reserve seating area. The seat location will be assigned hours before first pitch, and fans will have the option to pay for an upgrade. (The D-Backs are also offering a $10 upgrade credit for new plans.)
In Pittsburgh, the Pirates are taking a different approach. Prior to this season, the team unveiled a Spring Ballpark Pass ticketing plan that included access to games in April and May. The Pirates are now rolling out a pass plan that will cover the remainder of this season.
Starting in June, fans can pay $29.99 per month for guaranteed SRO access to every Pirates home game. Among the areas that fans can enter with SRO pass include the Iron City Skull Bar at section 101, Rivertowne Brewing Hall of Fame Club located in Left Field, Block House Corner Bar in Left Field, and the Miller Lite Crow’s Nest. The full plan covers a total of 53 home games.
Over time, it will remain to be seen how teams decide to roll out Ballpark Pass options, and there may be cases around the majors where certain ballparks simply cannot accommodate additional SRO admission. However, with the D-Backs unveiling a new plan and the Pirates extending a previous offer, it shows that some teams are seeing the benefits of offering a Ballpark Pass option.
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