During Alumni Weekend last October, the Islanders held an event at Belmont Park to show some of the greatest players in team history, invited guests, and members of the media the construction site at Belmont Park for the team’s new home that has since been named UBS Arena. When a new arena is being built for a sports franchise, there is obviously going to be a lot of attention paid to the sale of suites, premium and club seats, as well as the higher priced tickets that are going to generate a lot of revenue.
But what about the “Average Joe” fan?
What about the families that may not be able to afford the seats down low with all of the fancy perks?
Will there be fans that are going to be priced out of being able to go to games?
“We want the family of four to show up and not break the bank,” Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky told me at that event last year.
Ledecky and the Islanders have held true to their word.
Islanders Seat Selection Underway:
On Wednesday, the Islanders sent out emails to season ticket holders with information about price points and seat selection for UBS Arena which is scheduled to open for the 2021-22 season. While there are premium and club tickets starting at $189 a seat that includes access to concerts, food, and non-alcoholic drinks, seats by the glass that will cost $250 per ticket, and lower bowl center-ice tickets that are $165 a seat, there will also be ticket prices that will satisfy Islanders fans of all budgets.
There will be upper bowl tickets that will range from $29 to $82 per seat, some $25 standing room tickets, and some lower bowl tickets that will cost just $75 per seat.
So how does that low-end (or high-end if you look at it as begin up high at UBS Arena) $29 price point for an Islanders season ticket stack up against the other teams in town?
A New York Rangers season ticket for a “blue seat” atop Madison Square Garden cost “under $100” per game this past season according to a ticket rep that I spoke to over the phone, although a friend of mine that has a Rangers subscription tells me that you can get season tickets for as low as $60-65 a game with obstructed view seats costing less. As far as the Devils are concerned, the least expensive season ticket for the upcoming season will run $37.69 per ticket according to a ticket rep that I engaged in a live chat with.
Sounds like a real New York/Long Island bargain from a team that just won three playoff rounds and came within six wins of hoisting the Stanley Cup!
The Islanders are doing right by their fans both on the ice and in terms of pricing. With the Islanders’ amazing playoff run that took them to the Eastern Conference Final and two wins away from a spot in the Stanley Cup Final, the demand for tickets is through the unfinished roof of UBS Arena.
“I’m told that throughout the playoffs season tickets were just fantastic as far as the amount of interest people had and the amount of suites that they’ve sold,” said Islanders President and General Manager Lamoriello. “Things are going good…it’s good to hear during this time.”
Islanders Fans Ready To Raise The Roof:
And speaking of that unfinished roof, the construction progress at UBS Arena has been remarkable considering there was a temporary halt to construction because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans have been following the progress on social media as well as the live webcam that can be viewed at www.ubsarena.com.
“It’s an exciting time for our fans,” said Lamoriello. “The roof should be completed over the next couple of weeks. It’s just an exciting time.”
It will be even more exciting when UBS Arena opens in the fall of 2021 and there will be (hopefully and depending on the world we’re living in at that time) 17,113 fans cheering on the Islanders. Many of those fans will be sitting in affordable seating as 76% of the tickets in the building will be priced at $100 or less.
Whether it’s fans that are in the lower bowl, upper bowl, standing room location, or in the sections that will be set aside for youth groups, youth hockey teams and local community groups, UBS Arena at Belmont Park is going to have a ticket and a price point for all Islanders fans.
About the Author
