Opinion | Left Field: Empty stadium seats don't help
If organisers have trouble selling tickets, give them to underprivileged children so they have the chance to watch superstars
It's not every day you get the chance to see a world-class player in action in Hong Kong. Five days ago, Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic dazzled fans at Hong Kong Stadium by scoring a hat-trick in the 6-2 demolition of Kitchee by Paris Saint-Germain.
It's a pity the stadium was less than half full with only 17,000 fans turning up to watch the French soccer champions take their local counterparts apart with Gallic flair.
The first reaction from Kitchee boss Ken Ng Kin was bemoaning the financial loss his club suffered. Apparently it cost HK$10 million to put on the preseason friendly. Gate receipts were HK$6.92 million, leaving Kitchee reportedly carrying a loss of more than HK$3 million.
The cheapest ticket cost HK$330, (there was a concessionary price of HK$180 for elders) while the high-end stub which earned a prime seat on the halfway line was HK$780. They needed to sell 20,000 tickets to break even.
Obviously the boys at Kitchee flunked economics in school. Wouldn't it have been better to set cheaper prices and sell more tickets to try to break even?
Obviously the boys at Kitchee flunked economics in school. Wouldn't it have been better to set cheaper prices and sell more tickets to try to break even?