January 25, 2008

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
by Bill Lubinger

Next season, it will cost most fans more to watch them try to turn sniff
into full inhale.

The Browns are expected to announce today an increase in 2008 ticket
prices for much of 72,300-seat Cleveland Browns Stadium.

While not all seats will be affected, those that are will increase about
10 percent, pushing the average cost for a seat to about $66. Most fans
will see their tickets increase $5, $8 or $10 per seat.

Mike Keenan, senior vice president of business operations, said ticket
prices are reassessed each year. The decision to raise prices for the
first time since 2005, he said, was based on various factors, including
higher labor costs and other league economics, the need to stay
competitive within the Browns' division, the AFC North, and team
performance.

Specific price increases will be explained to Browns season-ticket
holders late next week within mailed information about renewing their seats.

Fans in the lower Dawg Pound will see the biggest jump, to $50 from $40.
Seats in the upper section of the Dawg Pound will increase to $45 from $40.

Prime seats, including club seats and suite tickets, climb to $85 from $77.

But 20 percent - about 14,000 seats - won't change. Those, mainly along
the corners of the upper bowl, will remain at $32 per seat.

The last bump in prices, about $3 to $4 per seat, was in 2005.

As daunting as any price increase is, Browns ticket prices ranked
third-lowest of the 32 NFL teams last season, and the least expensive in
their division, according to league statistics.

The average ticket price leaguewide in 2007 was about $75, ranging from
$121 in New England to $57 to watch a game in Buffalo.

The Browns also ranked near the bottom of the NFL in what it costs a
family of four to enjoy a game, according to Team Marketing Report.

The Chicago sports business research firm's "Fan Cost Index" estimated a
visit to Browns Stadium last season cost $303, compared to the NFL
average of $367. (Estimates are based on the cost of tickets, parking,
concessions, game programs and souvenirs for four.)

Original ticket prices for the Browns expansion season in 1999 ranged
from $30 for Dawg Pound seats to as much as $65 for premium seating.

Browns officials wouldn't disclose how many season-ticket holders they
have, but said the average tenure is 25 years and that turnover each
season is less than 5 percent. The price of personal-seat licenses did
not change.

Besides the usual conference foes Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati,
the 2008 home schedule features the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys
and the Indianapolis Colts.

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