The Raiders released an online survey to select season ticket holders in an effort to determine interest in different pricing options at a future stadium. When teams start to consider developing a new venue, it’s not uncommon to see some kind of outreach as far as five years out. The New York Giants famously burned through their once impressive waiting list in the run-up to MetLife Stadium. Then there’s the Raiders, who have around 30,000 season ticket holders, don’t have the luxury of a waiting list. With the team struggling on the field, fans could be price-sensitive.
Raiders pricing tier diagram
The diagram above doesn’t look exactly like any one stadium, perhaps on purpose. It’s there to illustrate specific seating locations and potential amenities for each tier. No assumption should be made about the stadium’s design based on the diagram. The team anticipates having multiple club levels which they call “Prime Seats”, and different types of suite and box options.
Lower Level Prime Seats (Sidelines):
– Blue highlighted areas in hypothetical seating map above
– Prime seats could be wider and have more legroom than typical stadium seating
– Excellent sightlines to the field
– Access to a VIP club lounge with upscale food and beverage optionsMezzanine Level Seats:
– Red highlighted areas in hypothetical seating map
– Same seat comforts, amenities and access as lower level Prime seats, but located further from the fieldLoge Boxes (or Mini-Suites):
– Loge boxes are open-air boxes (similar to an opera box) that are typically located at the top of the lower seating bowl (or on the mezzanine level, also known as
the “Club Level” or “Suite Level” in many professional stadiums).
– Loge boxes seat approximately four (4) to eight (8) people and feature comfortable chairs and a counter for food/beverages.
– In the hypothetical map above, loge boxes could be located at the top of the blue sections and/or in the front of the red mezzanine level, with excellent sightlines
to the field.Luxury Suites:
– Three types of luxury suites could be available:
1) Traditional Luxury Suites located on the mezzanine level (area in red above);
2) Field Level Suites located on the field level with unique sightlines just feet from team benches and players; and,
3) Owner’s Club Suites located adjacent to the owner’s suite in the best suite locations in the stadium (at the top of the lower level, close to the 50-yard line) with
access to the owner’s private all-inclusive club area.
– Luxury suites would have the highest level of seat comforts, amenities and access of any seating option in the stadium.
Just because the survey shows all of these premium options doesn’t mean they’ll all be offered in the end. While we can count on the usual types of suites and at least one club level, the mini-suite concept (similar to what the Earthquakes are offering) isn’t commonplace. Field suites are popular where they’re deployed (Dallas, Seattle, New York, Indy) but they’ll only be offered if there’s a market for them.
The survey also presented respondents with different prices for tickets and seat licenses. That’s right, they may be offering seat licenses again, which makes sense simply because the stadium is going to be so expensive that every effort should be made to take care of debt as early as possible. Under consideration is a seat license plan that is paid off in three years, with the final payment due before the stadium opens. The survey uses the term “Stadium Builders License”, which combined with some of the imagery used in each page leads me to believe that the questions were put together by Legends, the Yankees/Cowboys-owned firm that marketed the 49ers stadium’s tickets and seat licenses. Legends has carved out a pretty good niche in a fairly short period, having built up a lot of experience since their maiden efforts for their owners’ 2009 venues.
Outreach efforts will be key for two reasons. There’s the obvious gauge of demand for certain pricing levels and potential for SBL commitment. This information is important to all parties, including the NFL and Oakland/Alameda County because there needs to be a solid determination of a new Raiders stadium’s feasibility based on advance revenues. If debt service runs $40-50 million per year, the Raiders will need to prove they can pull in $100 million per year in order to get approval from the NFL and loans from banks. If not, they may be advised to pursue other alternatives such as a Coliseum renovation (see: Buffalo).
No questions were posed about the site, the potential for a dome, or the size of the stadium. With such a narrow focus, it’d be foolish to infer anything from the survey besides the aforementioned questions about pricing. That said, these prices are certain to be much more expensive than the recently slashed Coliseum prices. The current Coliseum pricing structure has a single bargain basement, $25 per game price for the entire third deck. The survey had the price for upper deck, 20-yard-line seats at $60 per game. Mezzanine club seats were priced as high as $200 per game (for 10 games) plus a $4,500 or $7,500 SBL fee. Will the market bear higher prices and SBLs for a new Raiders stadium? We’ll find out fairly soon.
newballpark.org 
They did specify that this hypothetical stadium is in Oakland (so I presume they mean the colisem site). Also they had seat price points as low as $30/game if I remember correctly. That seems incredibly cheap for NFL tickets to a new stadium, even taking into account the PSL.
And who knows, in 7 years the Raiders could be a perennial contender.
I’ve said this once before and I’ll say it again: the city of Oakland and Alameda County should make the Raiders their number one priority re new stadium. Put all energy and resources (that are available) towards retaining the Raiders and constructing them a state of the art football stadium at the Coli site (or renovated Coli).
I’d be down for the mezzanine. Except I am a 49ers fan (and those tickets were too rich for my blood). Most of all, I just want a survey from the A’s in preparation of ordering my SBL… sigh
“Put all energy and resources (that are available) towards retaining the Raiders”
(that are available) being the key qualifier there. Oakland has much more important things to spend energy and money on. If there’s energy and money left over after, they should spend it on trying to keep the Raiders.
I said I would not buy season tickets in a new stadium (probably not true, but I wanted to encourage a renovation rather than rebuild) so I didn’t get the pricing questions.
The least-cost-effective team to keep would be the Raiders. The stadium would cost twice what an arena or ballpark costs and the team only plays 10 whole days a year. How much $$ do the Raiders bring in to the local economy? Not much, I’ll bet
@ Tim and pjk
Will u shut up….Tim I see ur anti business but public and private financing stadiuns are here to stay….u don’t like , move to another country, and pjk ….Howard terminal or coliseum city > san Jose….A’s and raiders will stay in Oakland. U dont like it?? Be a cubs fan…
to be downsizing and down-pricing at the Coliseum while plotting a new, expensive stadium with PSLs all over again. They already have more suites and club seats than they can sell consistently. How does any of this make sense in the Bay Area? Who do they think would be buying these suites/clubs/PSLs?
FWIW, I do have to wonder if this is all just the Raiders making their absolutely best effort to stay, but silently wondering if will make a difference. With no public money available, PSLs already proving disastrous and Raiders’ ownership not able to self-finance, how in the world does a $1 billion football stadium ever get built in Oakland? Raiders are already losing money now without having to pay for their own stadium, apparently.
I’m anti-corporate welfare, which is quite different from anti-business
I may be wrong, but I think the Raiders are using this survey to get an idea of how the Raiders’ season ticket holders would view potential seating and pricing arrangements at the new Santa Clara football stadium. I see no other reason why at this time the Raiders are conducting this survey, given that any specific plans for a new or renovated Coliseum are still very far off.
This is an interesting site, very professional and all but I highly doubt if the Raiders are involved. I have season tickets, lots of my friends do and none of us were contacted. My season tix rep saig he has no idea about any survey. This is a site from a concerned fan. Im all for his efforts, as all we want is our teams to stay in Oakland. The Niners crapped on their city but will keep the SF name, which is nothing but an insult. Go Raiders!
@Norco Bob – Clearly not every STH got the email. The disclaimer on the bottom said it was from the Raiders, so unless someone’s deliberately misrepresenting them I’m gonna guess it’s official and from marketing/outreach, not a ticket sales account guy who isn’t in the loop.
@ Tim – I would ignore the schizo troll
@ llpec – I think they’re gauging pricing interest to see whether a cheaper rennovation or an altogether new home makes sense。Either way, you know the city wil be on the hook for it!
OT: a new city/ballpark for the A’s to play in on the road…same old reminder that our stadium situation stinks! Minute Maid Park; someday we WILL have our own version in Cisco Field…someday. (at least CoCo baptized it with a homer…Go A’s!)
re: The Niners crapped on their city
…Yes, the 5% of 49ers season ticketholders who live in Frisco must be upset. Not much crying in Frisco about the team leaving
The Niners 5% or whatever the number is has nothing to do with them crapping all over SF. They certainly did that. The Yorks are a despicable bunch from Ohio that have hated SF from day one. They moved their HQ years ago and have just flat out hated SF forever. However they will keep the SF in their name as they need some salt to rub in that wound. The Yorks are disgusting. Eddie D is a sick old man, sexually assaulted a waitress in San Mateo, made her a millionaire,..the league ripped the team from him when he got busted in a gambling scheme, turned states evidence,(rat),…turned on his crime partner,..has to get baby sisters permission to attend a game,…oh and they choked away the Superbowl they told everyone they were going to win in blowout fashion. Youre welcome.
The 49ers moved their HQ to Santa Clara when Eddie DeBartolo was running the team. It was long before the Yorks, who, by the way, are getting the 49ers a brand new stadium right near where their season ticketholders are – in Santa Clara County. I agree Eddie D is not the hero he’s been made out to be.
Moving HQ was Denise`s idea,…as is the idea of putting a stadium there,..her husband is an elitest prick that hated the ghetto that SF is,…by the way Denise and John both hate Eddie D,..hes a felon and should be on Megans Law`s website,..Jed is a spoiled little dweeb that has never had a job in his life,..Im glad they choked in New Orleans. All that talk about the blowout is now hilarious. The new stadium by the way looks stupid,..but hey, will have free wifi so thats all that matters!! #SantaClaraNiners
You mean Denise’s son didn’t have to go through a rigorous application and hiring process to get the job running the team? No way!!…
“Just Flynn Baby!!”
And that stupid new stadium has a super bowl contender playing in it, will have near 70,000 ‘9er fans in it and will be hosting a super bowl in 2016- how stupid!
That seating chart looks like it’s shaped a bit like M&T Bank Stadium.
Ah, you can tell a bitter Raider by their jealousy of the Niners. Sure, rag on the owners who’ve had more SB berths and victories, a stronger fanbase, and a new home as well. If only Eddie D. could aspire to Al’s kindess to Oakland with the LA f’u and the Mt. Davis debacle….
Youre the one thats bitter,..you were one of the guys saying all the Niners had to do was get off the plane in New Orleans,..didnt work out that way,..hence your bitterness. Eddie D in the hall of fame?…LMAO!!! Inheriting daddys money and writing big checks doesnt make a great owner,..having your team taken from you, needing baby sisters permission to attend a game doesnt make you a great owner,..and the hall of fame agrees,…oh by the way, nice superbowl choke job 🙂
@Anon
Hahaha he is a joke and I enjoyed the ravens laying the smack down on the 69ers …Anon u are timeout….u don’t know anything. Again Oakland a’s and raiders here to stay, south bay get ur own teams
Anon is anonymous because hes still crying about the superbowl, he still thinks Craptree was held,..by the way that fraud of a QB with all that loser ink on him overthrew Craptree by 15 yards anyway…idiot Harbaugh had first and goal, first and superbowl,..then let his ego get the best of him,..and ya, Harbaugh still walking aroung, crying, making that holding call sign….whaaa whaaa whaaa,…the new stadium in Santa Clara looks lame and will be a hang out for non football fans and their Ipads,…Seahawks will own the NFC West for the next 5 years. Nice choke job in New Orleans Niners. 🙂
Haha wouldn’t it be funny of the Raiders moved to SF, that would be the ultimate smack in the face to Raider nation.
Whoa. The inanity in this comments thread may be a new record. Though, “Just Flynn Baby” made me chuckle. That needs to be a shirt.
The NFL experience is much better on the couch. The interesting thing with all this TV money in baseball is … the baseball experience is much better in person. I don’t know how that gets reconciled in the big picture. I can’t see myself buying football season tickets, but a game here or there.
re: The NFL experience is much better on the couch. The interesting thing with all this TV money in baseball is … the baseball experience is much better in person. I don’t know how that gets reconciled in the big picture. I can’t see myself buying football season tickets, but a game here or there.
…this is all accurate. Why deal with the rowdiness, the $30 parking, etc when the game is better on TV? Football is best seen on TV; baseball and hockey are best seen in person…I remember going to a Raiders-Dolphins game, sitting on Mount Davis and having no idea what was going on, sometimes, the game was so far away.
I can see tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum tandem are enjoying the vaseline Al gave to them all these years.
P.s. i still wear my superbowl gear proudly, loss or none. Rather go to the big show then give up on day one of the season. Go Niners!
Football can be a blast in person, it just really depends on the seats. Raider games, in particular, are all about the atmosphere and electricity of the event. That’s something that watching on tv just can’t convey.
On the topic noted above about stadium versus TV experience, IMHO baseball has a very big imbalance between its TV and stadium experience (again just my own opinion). Baseball on TV is often a multipurpose home event due to the pace of the sport (‘multipurpose home event’ meaning you do side things while the game is on versus just sitting in front of the TV and watching for 3 straight hours). But watching a baseball game at the stadium makes the lighter pace of the sport a much more interesting and enjoyable one (IMHO). Conversely I mostly agree that football is best enjoyed from the couch (though it can be great watching it in a bar that is full of other fans and a few rival fans). However, I’m guessing most NFL owners don’t have any problem with me and many other people believing this. How many people are in the greater Bay Area? Something approaching 6.5 million people? That means the Niners or Raiders need around 1 out of every 100 of the greater population at the stadium for 8 days a year. A majority of NFL teams can get most of that very small fraction of people for that few days out to the stadium provided they put a competitive team on the field (exceptions noted like the Raiders unfortunately). But NFL owners absolutely must have a very sizable chunk of the greater population watching the game from their couch. A ‘percentage of people watching’ requirement that FAR outpaces other sports. I believe I read somewhere that each NFL team gets 175 million per year with the new TV deal and that will become 200 million in the next few years. That much $$$ for only sixteen 3 hour events a year just for a TV deal? Wow! I’m guessing their TV revenues outpace their stadium revenues by a lot. So arguably not only does the NFL want lots of fans to like the TV experience, it is crucial to their business model.
@anon
Go play with urself, ur 49ers are done o yeah Giants got blasted 14-3 ur .nothing anon