Venue Detail
Chicago White Sox
Revenues From Sports Venues Pro Facilities Report
January, 2010
Chicago White Sox
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333 W 35th St Chicago, IL 60616-3696 Phone: 312-674-1000 Fax: 312-674-3296 URL: www.chisox.com Owner: Jerry Reinsdorf League: Major League Baseball American League, Central
Venue
U.S. Cellular Field, 333 W 35th St, Chicago, IL 60616-3621 Owner: State of Illinois Managed by: Owner Built: 1991 Capacity: 44,321 Permanent concession stands: 42 Concessionaire: Sportservice Suite caterer: The Levy Restaurants Soft drink: Coca Cola
Naming rights
Sold to: U.S. Cellular Price: $68, 000,000 Term: 20 years Expires: 2023
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $1,134 to $3,726 Single tickets range from $17.00 to $51.00 2007 average attendance: 33,140 2008 average attendance: 30,872 2009 average attendance: 28,199
Luxury Suites
Quantity: 102 Term: 1 to 7 years Price: $110,000 to $300,000 Seats: 18 to 35 Includes: Regular season tickets, four parking passes. Party suites hold 10 to 35 people and are changeable depending upon how the room is divided. The lease cost ranges from $1,500 to $4,000.
Club seats
Quantity: 1,822 Term: 1 to 1 years Price: $2,896 to $3,058 Includes: Tickets, in-seat wait staff.
Financing
The $150 million stadium was financed with bonds issued by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. The bonds are supported by a two percent hotel tax and $5 million a year from the City of Chicago and an equal amount from the state. Pct. public: 100
The $185 million Comiskey Park opened in 1991 across the street from the old Comiskey Park. The state gave the White Sox an attractive lease to keep them in the Windy City. The ballpark's exterior is reminiscent of the old Comiskey Park, though the new facility offers a Sony JumboTron video screen and a 140 by 30 foot centerfield scoreboard. With the sale of naming rights, the Venue is now known as U.S. Cellular Field.
Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf gets all stadium revenues except for ad sales over $10 million a year. That excess is shared with the Illinois Sports Authority. The Venue has a private stadium club, open to season ticket holders and those paying $800 in annual membership fees.
Membership in the Jim Beam Club is $21,455 per year.
The White Sox have made improvements to the ballpark including relocation of 1,500 seats in the stadium's highest sections along the foul lines. Bullpens were relocated to help make room for additional seats.
The work cost $8 million and was financed by a loan from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Some of that money is expected to come from a revenue pool created to renovate Soldier Field for the Bears.
In 2005, the team added Scout Seats behind home plate. The 324 seats cost $170 to $200 per game and include ballpark food, in-seat wait service and parking. Team officials say the Scout section is generating more revenue than it previously did even though only 108 season tickets were sold for the 2005 season. The White Sox are not discouraged at the season sales figures and believe the section will fill up as fans become more familiar with the offering.
In 2002, a $30 million renovation of Chicago's Comiskey Park gave the stadium a feel more like other retro ballparks in the league.
The Venue got decorative brick on its concourses, new lighting and upgrades of the concession areas. The brick was matched with awnings to make the ballpark more inviting.
On the club level, concrete floors got carpet and open areas were covered and provided with heating and air conditioning. Rest rooms and sound systems were upgraded.
The final phase includes new stadium graphics along with a picnic area and bleacher seats.
Most of the money for the project was made available as part of the Soldier Field renovation legislation approved by the state. The law made a $22.1 million loan available to the White Sox which could be repaid through the sale of ballpark naming rights. (Facilities, Financial, MLBTeamAmer, Professional Sports, Venue)