Houston Gets A for Affordability

From the housing market to gas prices to the war in Iraq, it seems there is not much good news to discuss when talking about America's economy. But when it comes to sporting event ticket prices, Houston can boast three affordable choices, according to the Houston Chronicle - the Rockets, the Texans, and the back-to-back MLS champion Houston Dynamo.
In a study of average ticket-prices league-wide, the Houston Dynamo ($20.50) rank below the MLS average of $22.47. The most-expensive tickets, no surprise, can be found in Los Angeles at an average of $32.50, while cross-town rivals Chivas USA offer better quality on the pitch at a lower price ($19.40). The cheapest tickets are for sale in Kansas City ($17.50), just ahead of the Colorado Rapids average ($17.90).

"I'd say the Dynamo, then Astros, then the Texans offer the best value," said Keith Rubenstein, a casual sports fan who attends a couple of games per sport per year. "The Dynamo are probably the best value for your money probably because of where they play," said Rubenstein, who has attended one match at Robertson Stadium.

Heading into their third season in the Bayou City, the Dynamo are hoping to covert walk-up fans into season-ticket holders by raising ticket prices around $2 on the day of the game, and are having some success - Dynamo senior vice president of business development Steven Powell cited a 140% increase in season ticket sales, a very promising figure for the club.

Average MLS ticket prices:

1. Los Angeles Galaxy ($32.50)
2. Toronto FC ($30.29)
3. D.C. United ($29.00)
4. Chicago Fire ($24.00)
4. New England Revolution ($24.00)
League Average - $22.47
6. New York Red Bulls ($21.83)
7. Houston Dynamo ($20.50)
8. Chivas USA ($19.40)
9. FC Dallas ($18.50)
9. Columbus Crew ($18.50)
11. Real Salt Lake ($18.25)
12. Colorado Rapids ($17.90)
13. Kansas City Wizards ($17.50)

Source: Houston Chronicle