Re-Kindling Interest in Skating
- Thread starter attyfan
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2004
I chose "other" because I think it's a combination of things listed. Lack of advertising is definitely a factor to me. It's a big topic of discussion over on the SOI forum. I'm 17 miles from the Philadelphia stop of the tour...we were bombarded by tv ads for COI and hardly anything for SOI. I also think the ticket prices for most shows and competitions are pretty steep, leaving the average family unable to afford it. The judging problems also taint the sport, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of fans.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
All of the above, and maybe some more.
Joe
Joe
I agree...I don't think there is a single item or action that can be taken to either further interest in skating (nor do I think it was one event that made interest in skating decline). IMO it's a combination of many factors, some of which I wouldn't even know (because I don't skate).
I picked other. I think the way skating is broadcast sometimes makes it a real snore to watch. Someone on the other thread said so, too. You all know what I'm talking about, a skater, then a commercial, then back to kiss & cry, then another skater. I don't know what can be done to change it, and only true diehard fans want to see the whole competition, but that's my two cents.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
My Plan to Save Figure Skating
Drop the ISU -- nobody cares about their events anyway. Even the Olympics appears to be on its way out in terms of fan interest.
OK, now instead we have the Triple Crown of Figure Skating. These are based on the three Invitationals currently sponsored by Marshall's Department Stores and Campbell's Soup. The top six men and ladies are invited to the first one. $100,000 appearance fee for each competitor, plus $500,000 first prize, winner take all, in men's and ladies.
For the first one, Michelle, Irina, Sasha, Carolina, Shizuka, and Fumie (or Joannie). Plushenko, Joubert, Lambiel, Buttle, Weir, and Lysacek or Goebel or Sandhu. (Belbin and Agosto do an exhibibiton at half-time -- $200,000. I'm trying to keep track of my budget here.)
After the first event, the top three automatically get invited to the next one. The bottom three are challenged to a skate-off by the next three on the list, also televised. We'll have an overall rating system to determine the pecking order on The List.
If anyone wins all three in a season, the champ gets a million dollar bonus.
All of this is shown on prime time TV, bumping golf, tennis and Nascar if need be.
Drop the ISU -- nobody cares about their events anyway. Even the Olympics appears to be on its way out in terms of fan interest.
OK, now instead we have the Triple Crown of Figure Skating. These are based on the three Invitationals currently sponsored by Marshall's Department Stores and Campbell's Soup. The top six men and ladies are invited to the first one. $100,000 appearance fee for each competitor, plus $500,000 first prize, winner take all, in men's and ladies.
For the first one, Michelle, Irina, Sasha, Carolina, Shizuka, and Fumie (or Joannie). Plushenko, Joubert, Lambiel, Buttle, Weir, and Lysacek or Goebel or Sandhu. (Belbin and Agosto do an exhibibiton at half-time -- $200,000. I'm trying to keep track of my budget here.)
After the first event, the top three automatically get invited to the next one. The bottom three are challenged to a skate-off by the next three on the list, also televised. We'll have an overall rating system to determine the pecking order on The List.
If anyone wins all three in a season, the champ gets a million dollar bonus.
All of this is shown on prime time TV, bumping golf, tennis and Nascar if need be.
Ok I voted for better advertising, your not going to buy a ticket if you don't know the show will be in your area. Myself I don't mind paying the high cost for a ticket because I am only paying for myself but for a good seat most family's can't I know a few years ago I couldn't have. But I am sure there are other reasons also.
all and more
I agree with the others, its a combo, first of all the prices are way WAY out of control for some things, we were looking at going to something like worlds for example, good seats all event tix are running at 950$ granted there are cheeper seats but anyways, then if u have more than one child...like at my place we are 1 adult 2 children, so thats almost 3 thousand dollars for tix, now hotel, airfare all the other stuff but just think 3 g's for the cost of the tix alone is ridiculous... I think there needs to be a serious drop in the cost of tix, get the folks interested again, then slowly raise the costs if need be, or else many folks might loose interest in f.s. all together.
I agree with the others, its a combo, first of all the prices are way WAY out of control for some things, we were looking at going to something like worlds for example, good seats all event tix are running at 950$ granted there are cheeper seats but anyways, then if u have more than one child...like at my place we are 1 adult 2 children, so thats almost 3 thousand dollars for tix, now hotel, airfare all the other stuff but just think 3 g's for the cost of the tix alone is ridiculous... I think there needs to be a serious drop in the cost of tix, get the folks interested again, then slowly raise the costs if need be, or else many folks might loose interest in f.s. all together.
Just another thought, to the high ticket prices. I go to the shows in Nashville the seat ar far from being sold out even some of the good seats.( I joked with my sister next time we should buy the cheap tickects then move down to the empty seats when the show starts). So are the prices pumped up so they can make the payroll? Because they know there going to have a lot of empty seats?
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Jahr, IMHO, it's like any business enterprise -- everything is determined by supply and demand. What makes the most profit, selling a few seats for a lot of money, or selling a lot of seats cheaply?
Economists have all sorts of mathematical models about this. In theory, there is a happy medium which maximizes the profit. In practice, if you guess wrong, then you lose money either way. And if you guess wrong a lot, then you go out of business.
MM
Economists have all sorts of mathematical models about this. In theory, there is a happy medium which maximizes the profit. In practice, if you guess wrong, then you lose money either way. And if you guess wrong a lot, then you go out of business.
MM
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Any math nerds out there, LOL? Here is a picture showing what will happen with COI next year.
Because of increased interest in figure skating in the Olympic year, the demand for COI tickets will go up from D1 to D2.
This will cause Tom Collins to increase the supply (move farther up and to the right on the "S" curve) until a new market equilibrium is reached. There will be more shows (the "quantity" Q goes up from Q1 to Q2), and the price goes up, too, from P1 to P2.
If Collins does not raise his prices, he will suffer the entrepreneur's worst fear -- net opportunity loss. (That is, if he keeps his prices at last year's level, P1, he won't make as much money as he could have.)
Because of increased interest in figure skating in the Olympic year, the demand for COI tickets will go up from D1 to D2.
This will cause Tom Collins to increase the supply (move farther up and to the right on the "S" curve) until a new market equilibrium is reached. There will be more shows (the "quantity" Q goes up from Q1 to Q2), and the price goes up, too, from P1 to P2.
If Collins does not raise his prices, he will suffer the entrepreneur's worst fear -- net opportunity loss. (That is, if he keeps his prices at last year's level, P1, he won't make as much money as he could have.)
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- Joined
- Aug 29, 2003
yeah, but if Collins lowers the price, maybe more people would be able to afford it. Therefore selling more tickets=more money for Tommy. 
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Too true, but see, that's the beauty of mathematics. If you look at the demand curve D2, it starts at the upper left. This shows that there are a whole lot of people who would buy tickets if they were cheap.CzarinaAnya said:yeah, but if Collins lowers the price, maybe more people would be able to afford it. Therefore selling more tickets=more money for Tommy.
It descends to the lower right. This means fewer and fewer people will buy tickets as the price does up. Eventually the demand curve will hit zero, way off to the right. That means the price is so high that no one will pay it.
The solution: Set a price in the middle (P2). A medium number of people will come, paying a medium price. This is more profitable than a lot of people paying only a little, and also more profitable than just a few people each paying a lot.
That's the theory, LOL. Does it work? If I knew the answer, I'd be rich.
Mathman
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2004
I'm not sure if ticket price is the main thing... How much would you or someone you know spend for world series, superbowl, nba finals, hockey finals, or the mother of all sporting events... the Michigan vs. Ohio State game??? The answer in my family is: $250, $560, $200, $450 (suite tickets), and.... $135. All in the past four years... But I complain all the time about shelling out $75 for COI tickets. Why? Because the format bores me to tears... I spend $75 and get there a little after intermission for the headliners. I'm fortunate that I get comp tickets to Nationals... but I would shell out the money for that because its a sporting event, not a vertigo inducing snooze fest. People will pay for an event, but I'm not convinced that they will pay for the exhibitions only format.
The USFSA needs to hire a marketing person who knows what the heck they are doing... maybe steal the NASCAR person??? Just a thought.
The USFSA needs to hire a marketing person who knows what the heck they are doing... maybe steal the NASCAR person??? Just a thought.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Cheap tickets, Yeeeaa! but will the artists take cuts in their salaries?Mathman said:
Joe
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