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Orange County Register (California)
The Chargers' return to the Los Angeles-Orange County market will offer local fans a unique NFL experience in the relatively intimate setting of the 30,000-seat StubHub Center.
That experience will also come with a unique price tag.
The Chargers' average 2017 season ticket price will cost $192 per game.
The team's season ticket prices, announced Tuesday, range from $70-$375 per game, with approximately 11 percent of the tickets going for less than $100 per game.
Season ticket sales are scheduled to begin in March. Fans can get on a waiting list by placing a refundable $100 deposit on the team's FightForLA.com website. The deposits give fans priority status to purchase up to four season tickets for the Chargers' 10 home games (eight regular season, two preseason) at StubHub Center in Carson and season tickets when the franchise moves in 2019 into the Los Angeles Stadium, the $2.66 billion venue being built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke on the former site of Hollywood Park.
The Chargers' 2017 average price is $60 more than the NFL's 2016 highest average season ticket price of $131.90 for the Chicago Bears. It also is more than double the $84.55 average price the Chargers charged last season in 70,561-seat Qualcomm Stadium, which was 22nd in the league.
The Rams had an average season ticket price of $72.71 at the 91,000-seat Coliseum last season.
The Chargers last month set up a waiting list for potential season tickets buyers, and they believe the ticket prices for next season are in line with what the nation's second-largest media market dictates. They also are expecting to sell out the entire stadium with season tickets, based on interest they already have seen on their website and anticipated interest from the team's 2016 season ticket holders. That likely would leave any single-game sales to the secondary market.
"Playing at StubHub Center is going to offer fans a rare opportunity to see NFL action in a uniquely intimate setting," said A.G Spanos, the team's president for business operations. "Every seat at StubHub Center will feel close to the action and fans will be right there with us on every play. Not many venues can make this claim and we expect to sell out quickly."
A larger challenge facing the Chargers as they transition into the L.A.-Orange County market is generating enough interest beyond those 30,000 season ticket holders at StubHub to attract the 70,000 season ticket holders they will want when they move into the Inglewood stadium.
Spanos declined to say how many deposits the team had already received, describing the total only as "thousands."
Seats at StubHub for three sections behind the Chargers bench run $375 per game. Seats for three sections behind the visitor's bench go for $325. Tickets for seats in 12 other sideline sections cost $255 per game. The cheapest tickets at $70 are in the north end zone. Forty-three luxury suites will also be available at StubHub. The team has not yet announced suite pricing.
Spanos acknowledged earlier this month that the size of the StubHub Center would affect ticket prices, but insisted that the unique, intimate setting will be able to generate excitement.
"I think they'll be competitive pricing," he said then. "We're looking at family sections and trying to consider our entire fanbase. It's a fair point that it's going to be a smaller venue. Frankly, we are excited about the opportunity to create a very hot ticket."
The team's 2017 home schedule includes the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and AFC West rivals Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. The NFL will announce the full schedule in April.
Staff writers Jack Wang and Vincent Bonsignore contributed to this report.
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