With the regular season not too far off from commencing, the Philadelphia Flyers have announced a new ticketing program called the “Flyers Pass” that will allow you to purchase four tickets a month for only $99.
It’s probably not a stretch to imagine that ticket sales have dropped compared to previous seasons with the state of the team being the worst in well over a few decades, coupled with a few miscues by management, front office executives, and ownership alike. For now, the Flyers Pass is available for October and November games but will run throughout the season from beginning to end, with game dates being announced two weeks before the next month.
October opponents and dates include the regular season opener against the New Jersey Devils (10/13), Vancouver Canucks (10/15), San Jose Sharks (10/23), and Florida Panthers (10/27). November opponents and dates include St. Louis Blues (11/8), Claude Giroux’s return to the Wells Fargo Center with the Ottawa Senators (11/12), Dallas Stars (11/13), and Calgary Flames (11/21).
An interesting side note to the Flyers Pass is seat availability and seating arrangements, as Snow The Goalie’s Russ Joy posted an excerpt from the Flyers’ news release on Twitter earlier today that stated, “Your specific seat location will vary game to game. Seating can be assigned anywhere in the Wells Fargo Center, including in our Assembly Room (which is Standing Room Only). Please note that seats will be randomly assigned to Flyers Pass purchasers for each game, so specific seat locations cannot be guaranteed.”
So, as the Flyers have poignantly stated, there is a chance you can find yourself randomly selected for a Standing Room Only ticket, but there is also a chance you get a lower level seat as well. It’s seemingly randomized and you will be alerted before the game to avoid any last second miscues or meltdowns. $99 for four tickets is a pretty good deal no matter the team, no matter the venue, no matter the city, and no matter the arena.
It’s unfortunate that the Flyers have found themselves in a situation where they have to offer ticket programs like this, but the state of the team has dropped dramatically over the last few years and social media is abuzz with fans who have let the team know about their sentiments and feelings.
It seems like the ownership group and everyone associated with the Flyers is well aware of these feelings. They saw it firsthand last year when the attendance dropped from sell-out crowds to barely being able to house 10,000 a night. According to ESPN.com, the Flyers finished 18th in the NHL in average attendance last year at 16,540. In terms of percentage, the Flyers filled the Wells Fargo Center at 84.7% of their capacity, which ranked 21st in the NHL. However, for those who watched on TV or even attended the games, that number represents tickets sold – not the number of fans who actually attended games.
As a comparison, the Flyers were 12th in the NHL in 2019-20 with an average of 18,390, and 19th in percentage with the Wells Fargo Center filled at 94.4% of their capacity. In 2018-19, the Flyers were third in average at 20,371 and 15th in percentage at 98.1%. Even in 2017-18, the Flyers were third yet again at 19,517 and 14th in percentage at 99.9%. If you go back all the way to 2010-11, the Flyers never finished below 6th in average attendance once and were predominantly 3rd or 4th behind the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, and occasionally the Detroit Red Wings.
The Flyers posted about the Flyers Pass on Twitter and Facebook, but barred any comments or replies on their posts. Sadly, it doesn’t help the season ticket holders in the slightest and keeps them in the dark yet again, especially after last season’s brouhaha. This is still a great marketing tool for affordable tickets for fans who still want to watch the on-ice product. Depending on your location as well, you may click on the link and see ”404 Error – Page not found”, as I received here in Canada.
As a Flyers fan living in Canada, it’s programs like these that make me somewhat envious, but for the rest of the fanbase, it’s a wonder whether or not this will be as successful as they had envisioned it to be.
