Derby To Offer Demand Based Ticket Pricing

Derby County is set to become the first club in the country to offer ‘demand based’ pricing for match tickets at its home league fixtures from the start of the 2012/13 football season.

The Rams hope to attract new supporters to games through more flexible pricing for home fans, while offering more options for existing fans to visit Pride Park Stadium.

For season ticket holders, the club has pledged that the best-priced tickets shall remain enshrined as part of their season ticket package.

The prices of single matchday tickets from next season will fluctuate dependant on a number of key factors. Ticket prices can change on a daily basis based on real-time market conditions such as team performance, rivalries, day of the week and the weather among other factors – reflecting the demand for tickets. 

According to the club, the move to demand pricing will offer greater flexibility and choice to supporters, and is part of the Rams’ commitment to continually improve their offering to fans and commercial partners alike.

Derby County has been given the support of the Football League to pioneer the development in England following similar moves by a number of sports clubs across the major sports in North America.

The Rams are teaming up with Digonex to deliver the new technique of supporter participation. 

The partnership will see Digonex make use of its dynamic pricing services via a connection with Tickets.com to price single match tickets for Derby’s 2012/13 season.

At Pride Park, Digonex shall utilise their Sports and Entertainment Analytical Ticketing System (SEATSTM), a dynamic pricing system for event ticketing that scientifically changes prices based upon econometric and behavioural principles.

The Rams have already written to all season ticket holders for the 2012/13 season to explain how the partnership will work as well as how their season ticket package is broken down in terms of how much they have paid for specific matches. 

The club also stated that while demand based pricing shall offer the potential of great single match prices to watch Nigel Clough’s men in action, season ticket holders will always have the best deal.

Derby County’s chief executive Tom Glick, who will begin his new role at Manchester City in August, said: ‘We are very excited about the positive impact demand based pricing will have on both our attendance and revenue next season.’

‘We are confident that SEATS will help us identify the best price for our tickets; allowing us to provide Derby County fans with more price options, flexibility and the best value for their money at Pride Park.’

‘Ensuring our match tickets are priced appropriately, we believe we will entice new fans to Pride Park as well as offering more options to existing supporters whilst reengaging with those supporters who haven’t been able to attend matches at Pride Park as much as they would have wished in the last few years.’

‘As a Club we are determined to find new and improved ways to make Pride Park an affordable and friendly place to visit and see demand pricing as a positive step.”

Digonex view Derby County as part of a wave of forward-thinking sports teams seizing on demand based pricing as a competitive and strategic opportunity to transform their Club’s operation.’

Jan Eglen, Ph.D., CEO of Digonex, added: ‘We find that focusing on better pricing helps teams engage with fans in a more meaningful way.’

‘Staying in sync with an ever-changing marketplace is the best way to provide great value to fans while from the Club’s perspective helping to drive bums on seats and enhance the matchday atmosphere.’