This was inevitable in Minor League Baseball; surprised it took so long: The Wichita Wind Surge (Double-A; Texas League) are scrapping traditional season tickets and moving to a membership model.
Within the sports industry–and especially the baseball world–it’s been anticipated for many years that season tickets are an obsolete construct given the length of the season and the unrealistic expectation that fans will attend 70-80 games per season. Now, there have been many tweaks on the season ticket to address this unrealistic expectation, such as partial season tickets and shared ducat plans. Some MLB teams have unveiled their own memberships, including the Tampa Bay Rays. But the rise of eticketing allows for MiLB teams to move to similar membership plans.
The Wind Surge are introducing what they call “Wind Surge Membership Access Plans,” offered with ticketing platform FanRally. Wind Surge access members can make up to four (4) reservations per plan, per event, in addition to having the option of releasing a reservation up to eight (8) hours prior to an event. Members can also purchase additional seats for any event at their membership rate. Additionally, members have the ability to enroll in monthly payment plans, beginning at $18.02 per month.
“The traditional season ticket model has remained virtually untouched for over 150 years,” said Wind Surge General Manager Bob Moullette via press release. “Programs designed to customize consumers preferences are ever-changing and we want to bring similar convenience and flexibility to our membership plans.
“The new membership program allows the Wind Surge to focus on a fans-first approach by allowing members to select games based on their personal preferences, as opposed to following the predetermined season schedule.”