D.C. United survey asks if you want a $1000 supporters season ticket

D.C. United sent out a survey today to a large number of fans, as they are trying to find the proper place for ticket prices and which amenities the fans want at the new stadium at Buzzard Point. If you have bought a ticket for a D.C. United game or the USMNT vs. Peru game, you will likely be receiving this survey in the near future, so be on the lookout for it.

And I will say off the top that this is obviously not a statement on what the final prices will be, but an effort to do some market research and gauge what people might be willing to pay. There is still time for lots of things to change, but this seems to be what the team's opening mindset is. United acknowledges this in the cover letter to the survey, saying:

As part of the planning process, D.C. United has engaged a third party company to conduct a survey of current ticket holders, supporters, and the local community that will assist in making informed decisions regarding various elements of the stadium.  All seating concepts and related pricing questions are purely hypothetical.

But, looking at what hypotheticals are in play currently gives us some insight into what might  happen. One of the most interesting parts of the survey were the questions asking whether or not you would buy season tickets in certain areas of the stadium at certain price points. The stadium is broken up into a number of different sections, with two different options for possible locations for the supporters' groups.

This diagram is of the regular tickets potentially available in the new D.C. United stadium; there was a separate section for club and premium seating that I did not take. The map envisions two tiers of sideline tickets and one each for the north stand and the south stand.

This survey is a way for them to find a price point for season tickets, and so they first asked if you would buy $1000 sideline supporters' section season tickets. If you said no, it subsequently asked you if you would buy a $900 ticket or a $800 ticket, before moving onto another line of questioning. This is the same set of prices that they used for the upper sideline tickets, shown above in light blue.

D.C. United is just about the only team that still has sideline supporters' groups, so there isn't much to which to compare those prices in that regard. However, the $800-$1000 price range seems to be roughly in line with what teams charge for seats in that area in newer MLS stadiums.

The North Stand supporters group options runs you through the same questions but at a much different prices: $550, $475, and $400. For comparison's sake, season tickets in the New York Red Bulls supporter's section are $330 this year; in San Jose's brand new stadium, $340; Seattle Sounders, $475; LA Galaxy, $370, and so on. In 2014, D.C. United had the most expensive supporters' group season tickets, and it looks like they will remain in at least the upper tier when the new stadium comes as well.

Of course, these prices would be for people purchasing tickets for the first time; people renewing would possibly get some sort of discount. Nothing for certain in here, but it is interesting to see where the team's mindset is as they start preparations for their new building.