Wizards Freeze Prices on 2009-10 Tickets

The Wizards are freezing the prices of season tickets for next season and offering incentives, including rebates and extended payment plans, to entice fans to renew.

The Wizards (14-46) are in the midst of one of the worst seasons in franchise history, but the decision to not raise ticket and concession stand prices is a reflection of the tough economic climate -- not the team's struggles this season, according to Peter Biché, the team's president of business operations and chief financial officer.

"All of this is really about the economy," Biché said. "We're not naive about what is going on out there. We're trying to make it affordable and create some flexibility in terms of giving ticket holders more time to pay. I'm not concerned about the team. We're not a 14-win team. When we get our guys back, we're a much better team than that and that is what we're pitching to our fans."

Still, freezing ticket prices appears to be a sensible move given the fact that the team, which has played all season without three-time all-star Gilbert Arenas and starting center Brendan Haywood, has put such a poor product on the floor.

According to the NBA's official attendance figures, the Wizards rank 21st in the league with an average attendance of 16,360 per game.

That's not a huge drop-off from last season, when the team ranked 15th at 17,962 per game, but it's worth noting that those figures reflect tickets sold and don't take into account no-shows or tickets distributed by other means.

For example, the team has given away extra tickets in the upper level to season ticket holders for select games. And, like many teams, the Wizards have offered some tickets at a sharply reduced rate as part of special promotions.

Biché said season ticket renewals have been around 85 percent the last few seasons and he hopes to be in the same range entering next season. The rebates could range from 5 percent to 20 percent depending on pricing, seat location and how quickly fans decide to renew. The renewal deadline is April 9, and for the first time the team is offering a 10-month installment plan.

The Wizards are not alone in coming up with creative ways to get season ticket renewals and attract new season ticket holders. Though overall official attendance numbers are steady around the league, teams are not bringing in as much revenue since the national economic downturn.

The Minnesota Timberwolves for example, a franchise that has struggled mightily the last few seasons and plays in a hockey-mad area, announced yesterday that ticket prices will be cut on 95 percent of season tickets bought by July 1, and the team is guaranteeing a refund for unused tickets for any season ticket holders who lose their jobs by Jan. 1, 2010.

"This isn't just us, it's everyone," Biché said of the Wizards' plan. "Everybody's keeping prices flat and they're doing the things that we're doing in the form of rebates for some ticket holders and offering payment plans. I think the D.C. market is somewhat isolated with the federal government and things like that, we are insulated somewhat economically as compared to Detroit or Cleveland and some others, but we're aware of the overall climate and we want to be responsive to it."

From financial and basketball standpoints, the Wizards will be counting on the healthy returns of Arenas and Haywood to avoid a repeat of the current dreadful season. Arenas has been practicing off and on since just after the all-star break, while Haywood was recently cleared for non-contact drills and games of one-on-one.

The team has not set a timetable for either player's return this season. Arenas said his main focus is to make sure that his left knee, which has undergone three surgical procedures, will be "100 percent" before testing it again in game action.

It's possible that it may not happen until next season, though Arenas wouldn't rule out a return this season.

In the meantime, the Wizards, who open a four-game trip at Oklahoma City tonight, haven't been helping draw fans with their lackluster play of late. The team has lost five of its last six, including Monday's 98-89 home loss to the Hawks in front of an announced crowd of 10,189.

"I think the crowd is responding to the drop-off in our energy level," interim coach Ed Tapscott said of the mostly subdued atmosphere at Verizon Center this season. "Look, you can miss shots and you can struggle, but people perceive your effort level and your energy level, and where they respond negatively is if they feel you aren't giving that effort or energy level. So, it's important that we keep that up and give our fans a reason to get excited."