Next Years Season Tickets

[bluntiger]

We have decided not to renew our STs for next season. I wrote to Tigers to explain why we were not renewing and recieved a reasonable response.

'I am sorry to hear that you and your wife will not be renewing your season tickets for the 2013/14 season. I understand your reasons for making this decision however I wanted to explain some of the reasons behind the fixture changes to you.

All of the premiership clubs are signed into a central contract with Premiership Rugby who then have a broadcasters contract with the television companies. Sky and ESPN pick three live matches each weekend. We advise them of our preferred day and kick-off time however due to the contract we have to play when they request. If we were to refuse to move a fixture we would be in breach of contract and have to face a substantial punishment. The television companies can chose fixtures up to three weeks out from the game however in most cases we are notified of the changes earlier.

We also have to work closely with Leicester City Football Club and the Safety Advisory Group which is comprised of members of the emergency services and city council. This group has the authority to rearrange, postpone or cancel matches if they deem it unsafe for supporters of either club and also the city itself. The Safety Advisory Group have made the decision that both clubs are no longer able to play matches on the same day and will therefore mean that each club will take turns to move fixtures should clashes occur.

We work hard to ensure that our season ticket holders get value for money on their season tickets. On average the cost of a season ticket compared to buying match by match tickets equates to season ticket holders gaining the equivalent of 5 games free in the hope that this will cover some of the games that our season ticket holders are unable to attend.

Once again I am sorry that you will not be renewing your season tickets next season however we will continue to work towards having kick-off times on Saturday's at 3pm where possible in the hope that you will return to Welford Road to attend some matches in the future.'

At the last home game, there was a note on our seats asking us again to renew and yesterday, I recieved a call from the ticket office again, asking me if I was to renew. They had a prepared 'overcoming obstacles' speech as to why we should renew.

I just wondered, given the lengths that they are going to get people to renew whether there are more people like us who have got fed up with the continual rescheduling of KO times in the last 2 seasons and who are also not renewing.

[ellis9]

I would say that's a very good response, not a reasonable one. Well done to Tigers for replying in detail and well done to bluntiger for posting it on here so that all the people moaning about and blaming Tigers, should now realise there is nothing they can do about it!

[Grannyman]

I've never held a season ticket so I guess I'm open to calls of "what do you know?", but I've looked at season tickets for my family of four and found the prices to be very reasonable. Welford Road is generally good value for money and its only the cost of travel that has put us off as we don't live locally.

[yellow_balaclava_hunter]

The contracts with Sky and ESPN finish this year and are replaced with a BT contract.

I expect the BT contract to allow the club to choose their kick off times. If the new contract still allows the broadcaster to choose the clubs kick off times then the club simply have not listened to the supporters as they should not agree a new contract with such a clause.

[ellis9]

I think people need to open their eyes and realise this is the 21st century!

I would say that the TV companies offer each club a lot of money so it is hard for them to turn it down, not because of greed but for the club to be able to run without losses etc. Most clubs in the league, including us the past couple of seasons, dont make a profit anyway, so without this tv money, where would these clubs be? There probably would be very few clubs left!

[longlivethecrumbie]

I've said numerous times before on this forum - the days of all matches being 3pm on a Saturday are long gone and the reason for that is because of TV coverage.

We all want the club to earn as much money as possible to be able to bring in the best players available with the budget they have. The major contributions to club budgets come from TV money.

For those who argue against having weird kick off times are also the ones wanting us to bid for the best players that the world has to offer. You cannot have one without the other, unless you have a majorly well off owner who is prepared to throw everything at it (like they do in France).

I'm afraid that TV coverage is here to stay and one of the prices of being one of the best clubs in the land is that the TV companies want to show us on TV as often as they can because that brings in viewers. Like it or lump it, that's where we are and it's not going to change I'm afraid.

[Isambard]

A contract is an agreement of mutual benefit.

If Premiership rugby is prepared to sign a contract which allows tv companies to have total control then that is not of mutual benefit. Furthermore there is no good reason why tv companies should have last minutes picks of matches to be shown.

Choice of matches to be broadcast should be made at the beginning of the season and then stuck to.

This is lazy broadcasting and even lazier negotiations of contract by premiership rugby. If you bow down and worship then you get what you deserve. I for one won't be part of it.

The club response is just buck passing. It is from the same script as drafted by marketing at least a couple of years ago. Not unlike the weasel words of politicians of any party.

[KUSADASI TIGER]

I too am not renewing my season ticket next season after 7 years of being a season ticket holder.The amount of sunday matches causes me problems and i have made my reasons know to the club in person.I do not hold the club responsible as i am fully aware of the reasons for matches changing,however seeing only 4 3pm saturday k.o matches this season made me make that decision.i will still attend matches on saturdays when i am able to get tickets but sunday games will be watched on t.v .

[ellis9]

A contract is an agreement of mutual benefit.

Yes it is. The TV companies get the matches when they want to show them so get what they want and with this the clubs as part of the mutual agreement, get a lot of money.

Isn't this both parties mutually benefitting?

[Isambard]

No it isn't. It is too one sided. Why else would we be complaining?
In some some sports it has led to almost empty grounds and that is hardly the purpose of rugby is it?
Money is not the only driving force in sport. Customers are!

[tigerburnie]

A board of directors has legal duties as well as what is in the clubs interests, when running a company you have to maximise your assets. Without the television money we would probably have to put a zero behind the current ticket prices, is that an acceptable alternative?When top players can command £250k a season,where do you think the money comes from? ticket sales are a part of it, but no sport mananges these days without outside capital.

[Smudge]

Sadly, Burnie is right but as always, there has to be room for compromise.
Next time the contract is negotiated, more account of the STHs moans should be made,
when gaining the most amount of money.
You can't ignore either.

[Lutontiger]

Has anyone done research into whether all Premiership clubs are equally affected?
If we're unfairly treated we'd have more cause for complaint, and better reasons to re-negotiate.
I too have problems attending evening and Sunday games, and therefore lose out but will stick with my season ticket as a means of showing my support - for now, but if nothing changes, I too might have to reconsider.

[tigerburnie]

You would hope that someone in marketing, or whoever is responsible , would already be looking at the seasons fixture lists to see if there are any anomylies. We do however have the added problem of the football ground being so close, not all Premiership clubs have that problem like we do.
In the current financial situation every one is watching their pennies and making sure they get value out of whatever floats their boat. Making the club aware is very good, but some seem to be blaming the club,which does seem unfair as we are part of a group of clubs that make decisions, we don't make them on our own.

[old one eye]

Circumstances change. This season, I have not had a season ticket because it did not make economical sense as I could not get to many games. However, the situation for next season has changed and I have bought my season ticket along with over 10,000 others already. The club has to make a decision, if we want top rugby we have to make some sacrifices and the income from the number of people paying to watch each game will not fall by anywhere near the amount paid to each club by the TV company's. It will not suit every supporter but it is impossible to make everyone happy.