Falcons announce "game-changing" pricing for MBStadium concessions:

[soxhop411]

And This is the one time I think the term "game changing" is being used correctly by the Flacons

http://mercedesbenzstadium.com/news-community/fans/

As a stated goal from the outset of design, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is reimagining the fan experience. Today in the building’s first completed concession stand, stadium leadership announced a game-changing food and beverage pricing and quality model designed to address the top reported pain point for football fans and soccer supporters in surveys about the live event experience.
Upon opening in 2017, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will offer food and beverage options developed to deliver what fans want – variety, speed of service, quality and value. The fan-first menu at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will include the most popular items priced as follows without compromising quality:

• $2 – Non-alcoholic beverage products with unlimited free refills (at freestanding refill stations)
• $2 – Dasani bottled water; hot dogs; pretzels; popcorn
• $3 – Peanuts; pizza; nachos; waffle fries
• $5 – 12 oz. domestic beer

The menu and pricing model – which will allow a family of four to consume the typical game-day purchases for $28 or less – will be in effect for Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United games, as well as major events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium including the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, SEC Championship Game, the College Football National Championship (2018) and the NCAA Men’s Final Four slated for 2020. The pricing and product offerings will be the same for concerts, conventions and other special events booked at the stadium.
The NFL’s Voice of the Fan Survey, as well as primary research within Atlanta and other markets conducted by the Falcons and Atlanta United, clearly indicates that food and beverage is the third-most important driver of game-day satisfaction. Yet, it’s also the lowest rated aspect of the guest experience by almost every measure.

“We focused from the beginning on building a unique fan experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a goal of helping those who visit to leave the stadium with great memories shared with family and friends, not aggravation and frustration about their experience,” said Falcons and Atlanta United owner, Arthur M. Blank. “We have listened to the concerns of the fans on the food and beverage experience and have responded to those concerns in a way that honors our commitment to providing the best possible fan experience at our events.”

To improve speed and quality of service, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has partnered with its design team, construction partners and Levy Restaurants to create what will be an exceptional experience for fans, employing several new operational and design elements that include:

• More than 670 concession points-of-sale (65 percent more than our fans currently enjoy)
• Self-service soda refill stations away from the concession stands (to increase speed, shorten lines)
• Increased on-site kitchen and cooking capacity to ensure freshness, quality and speed of service
• Whole-dollar pricing for ease and efficiency

 

[Hambone]

12oz beers? At least I can buy 2 at a time

 

[soxhop411]

12oz beers? At least I can buy 2 at a time

Fixed the GIF... there is more than that

 

[bankshot1]

However stadium parking will cost $500.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Awesome.

Teams that sell out gamed have no reason to change models, but if you know that tickets will be 80% of the incurred cost, I absolutely see this boosting ticket sales.

 

[Ed Hillel]

Ah, the old legal crowd noise trick.

 

[DanoooME]

However stadium parking will cost $500.

Take MARTA and save!

 

[RG33]

I think this is awesome and really is a game-changer. It is refreshing to see such common sense being used and coupled with some business savvy to get it done (the arrangement with the restaurant group providing the food services was apparently done on a flat dollar basis). I love the whole dollar thing too -- as simple and stupid as it seems, just makes too much sense to not have done that before. They are still going to have premium items, so there'll still be $12 craft beers I am sure, but this is a great idea and will hopefully be copied around the league and around sports.

 

[JimBoSox9]

I think this is awesome and really is a game-changer. It is refreshing to see such common sense being used and coupled with some business savvy to get it done (the arrangement with the restaurant group providing the food services was apparently done on a flat dollar basis). I love the whole dollar thing too -- as simple and stupid as it seems, just makes too much sense to not have done that before. They are still going to have premium items, so there'll still be $12 craft beers I am sure, but this is a great idea and will hopefully be copied around the league and around sports.

I can see it overrunning the NFL, but I question whether small/mid-market teams in other sports with less revenue sharing can really afford it enough for it to happen en masse.

 

[RG33]

I can see it overrunning the NFL, but I question whether small/mid-market teams in other sports with less revenue sharing can really afford it enough for it to happen en masse.

Well, the reason they can do it is because of the contract they negotiated -- and they are going for volume. It is really more about marketing than anything "A family of four can eat for $27 at a Falcons game!". It isn't like it is revolutionary thinking in business, they are just using the low-end stuff as a loss leader to get people to buy tickets and then buy $12 craft beers or whatever. It's the same thing Costco does with its deli/meat department . . . .it is just amazing it has taken this long for a team to do this.

 

[amarshal2]

This is the NFL equivalent of Southwest airline's bags fly free where they've created some loyalty in an industry where price is the driver for most everyone else. Similarly, Atl is going to be aided by the fact that literally nobody else does this. That could have a tremendous impact on how fans view the team and the in person experience. The key is likely increased attendance from lower income fans combined with an increase in ticket prices to make the math work. For other teams it might not work if it becomes ubiquitous and they don't get as much credit or there's fewer unsold tickets to gain. Bundling (dropping concession prices and increasing ticket prices with no change in attendance) in general is not going to be profit maximizing here as concessions are a form of price discrimination that allows them to eke more dollars out of people who can afford it. It's really hard to see this happening for the perennially sold out teams with largely affluent fan bases (ne, SF, Dallas) in a league that warships the marginal dollar over goodwill. I'm sure most of the teams have done the math and realized high prices on concessions is profit maximizing. It's not like lots of movie theaters are trying this on their captive audience, either.