Earlier today, Derek Jeter announced via Facebook that 2014 would be his last season as a player. For Yankees’ fans, it marks the end of an era, in which the team won five World Series championships. No fan base cherishes history more than the Yankees fan, with their 27 World Championships and 40 American League pennants. Jeter’s retirement will close one of the most successful chapters in Yankees history, and fans are reacting by driving prices for Yankees tickets through the roof. Jeter’s final regular season game at Yankees Stadium on September 25th now has an average price of $1,153, which is up 279% since the news broke around 2:00 ET. The announcement caught the sports world and the ticketing world by surprise. By 2:55, the majority of tickets had been pulled down from reseller sites, and have since been relisted at significantly higher prices. Just to get into the stadium it will cost $278, up from $25 prior to the announcement. Below is a graph of prices for the last game over the course of today.
The uptick isn’t limited to just Yankee Stadium, though. Ticket prices for Red Sox tickets for the final game of the year against the Yankees are also up dramatically. The game in Boston is the final game of the regular season, and it could be Jeter’s final game ever if the Yankees don't make the postseason. Ticket prices at Fenway Park for that game are up 105% since the announcement. The cheapest ticket for that game is now $103.
The Yankees are coming into 2014 with a mix of optimism and questions and, before today, demand for NY Yankee tickets would have been highly dependent on performance. Last season, the Bronx Bombers filled Yankee Stadium at 80% of capacity, which was good for 8th in the league, behind Angels, Dodgers and Phillies. It was also the worst season of attendance since they opened the New Yankee Stadium in 2009. Last season, only the World Champion Giants team filled their stadium above 95% capacity. It was the first season in four years that a team did not fill their stadium at 100% capacity. This year, it’s likely the Red Sox will fill Fenway Park at 100% as they defend their championship. Prior to today, it looked like they might be the only team with a shot. With only 81 chances for Yankees fans to see their captain play in the stadium he helped christen, there’s now a chance that the Yankees could get there as well.
