Obligatory Reminder: Attending a Red Sox Game Will Cost You Your Soul
Cold Beer at Fenway by NHJay / Flickr
Welcome to opening week in Major League Baseball, that time of year when we circle back with an obligatory reminder that the Red Sox are sucking your wallet dry. Between tickets and beer, our team is retaining its status as the most expensive team to root for in the MLB.
A 2015 MLB Fan Cost Index from Team Marketing Report says the Red Sox still top the chart for the most expensive non-premium ticket on average at $52.34. The next highest is the Yankees’ average at $51.55. The MLB average, though, is $28.94. The good news is that this average price for Sox tickets didn’t go up since last year. Although, between 2013 and 2014, the price did go up because World Series title-holders are holier than thou.
While your seats will cost you an arm, Fenway Park will also willingly take your leg in exchange for a cup of brew. A report from Business Insider says that the Red Sox charge the most for a small draft beer at the hefty price of $7.75—the same price goes for the Cubs and the Phillies, too. But Red Sox fans are paying $0.65 per ounce of beer at Fenway—15 cents more than any other team.
None of this is really a secret; being a Red Sox fan is expensive, and has been for a long time. Increases in Fenway Park’s prices is a conversation that’s revisited almost every year, and it’s never one that casts any reassuring vibes. In spite of trying to woo fans with cheaper beer for a temporary period back in 2013, and offering $9 standing room deals to students last year, few such promos have proven to be particularly worthwhile or longstanding.
Meanwhile, Fenway Park is showing off super tricked-out upgrades including 174 new seats, enhanced Wi-Fi, and a new “Kids Concourse,” so you can dish what you want for booze and seats, but at least your Internet will be priceless?
