Dodger Stadium raises ticket price of Friday, Saturday games

The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed today they will charge more for tickets for Friday and Saturday games and increase prices for nearly 35 percent of seats at Dodger Stadium for all games.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday games ordered in advance will cost $2 or $3 more than those played the rest of the week, in what the team described as a variable pricing component that is widely used in sports and entertainment.

The Dodgers are the last team in the Los Angeles market to use variable pricing, according to Josh Rawitch, the team's vice president of communications.

The increased ticket prices are the result of rising business costs, Rawitch said.

The price increases average less than 75 cents per ticket, or 2.5 percent, Rawitch said. Prices will remain the same or be lowered for more than 65 percent of seats purchased in advance for Sunday through Thursday games, he said.

The increases mean that the lowest-priced same-day ticket at Dodger Stadium will be $15 — $4 more than Top Deck tickets cost in 2009.

The Dodgers also increased same-day prices for the Left Field Pavilion by $5 to $18; Reserved Level tickets by $1 to $20; Lower Reserved Level tickets by $2 to $25; Infield Reserve tickets by $4 to $31; and Loge Box tickets by $5 to $35.

Same-day prices will remain unchanged for the Preferred Loge Box ($55), Field Box ($60), Infield Loge Box ($70), Loge Box MVP ($75), Preferred Field Box ($75), Infield Box ($110) and Field Box MVP ($130).

Tickets in rows X-Z on the Field Level between the bases will drop by $20 to $100.

The Dodgers did not increase single-game ticket prices following the 2008 season. Season ticket prices remain at their 2008 levels.

Parking prices will remain at $15, and no increase in concession prices is expected, Rawitch said.

The Dodgers have not increased the cost of parking since a 50 percent increase in 2007 for what the team described as parking improvements and additional parking staff, which drew criticism from fans.

"Despite the fact that business costs continue to go up from year to year, we've kept season ticket prices flat for two years running, we've maintained the same parking price for four years in a row and we are keeping concession prices the same again in 2010,'' Rawitch said.

The ticket price increases have no connection to the high-profile divorce of owner Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt, the team's former chief executive officer, according to Rawitch.

Single-game tickets will go on sale March 6. The Dodgers are scheduled to play their home opener April 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.