New York Knicks Season-Ticket Prices on the Rise!

Today the New York Post reported that the New York Knicks plan to significantly raise season ticket prices for the first time in six seasons.  While the Knicks ranked among the league's worst teams the past few seasons, their prices would suggest otherwise.  They currently charge the second highest price for season tickets at $88 per ticket.  The NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers hold the number one spot at $113 per ticket.

According to the New York Post,

The combination of the Knicks being on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2003-04, the ongoing $700 million to $1 billion transformation of the Garden and the latest blockbuster addition of superstar Carmelo Anthony to play alongside Amar'e Stoudemire has prompted owner James Dolan to raise the roof on ticket prices.

Since the Anthony trade, according to SeatGeek.com, the prices for some Garden games on the secondary market rose as much as 113 percent from the season average. SeatGeek.com is a ticket search engine that allows fans to search the top secondary markets for the best prices.

Before the season, the Knicks sold out of season tickets and created a wait list for the first time since 2001-02. More than 4,000 new season tickets were purchased for the season.

Honestly, this is expected.  In fact, I'm surprised Dolan didn't raise prices when Amar'e Stoudemire agreed to sign with the Knicks.  But since the Knicks also acquired Carmelo Anthony, the question was not a matter of when tickets would increase, but how much.  I guess we'll find out in the coming weeks.  MSG sports president Scott O'Neil will meet with current season ticket-holders today to present new benefits associated with the higher prices.

The timing of O'Neil's presentation is less than ideal as the Knicks are coming off an abysmal 109-127 performance against the Dallas Mavericks.  The Knicks, who are in the playoff hunt for the first time in six years, are without a doubt a better team; but immediately increasing the prices for loyal season ticket-holders isn't the best way to show appreciation to fans that have supported the organization throughout the good and the bad.

While the NY Post didn't mention a price increase for individual tickets, I'm sure it's coming as Knicks' tickets are incredibly hard to come by these days.  I know because I've been trying to find two reasonably priced tickets all season, but every game's been sold out.  I finally caved and bought tickets to Knicks at Nets in New Jersey.  The Prudential Center is certainly no MSG, but it's better than nothing, right?
  
Read more on this at: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/dolan_set_to_raise_prices_on_knicks_aDDpSpzewd8S87P4Jh17BL#ixzz1GIokAE7W
 

In other ticket news, New York Yankees single-tickets go on sale today.  You can purchase tickets on yankees.com.  The home opener is March 31 against the Detroit Tigers.

Mets fans, you can get in on the action starting Monday.  Tickets will be available on nymets.com.  Their home opener is April 8 against the Washington Nationals.