Blue Jays Announce Expanded Dynamic Pricing Program

New Algorithm Factors In Individual Personal Data When Determining Ticket Prices

Originally published: December 10, 2017

Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they are expanding their highly profitable dynamic pricing program.

Previously, tickets to games featuring more popular opponents like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were priced higher than those for other teams. But now, thanks to modern data mining technology, the ball club can determine the maximum price that every individual fan is willing to pay for each of the teams eighty-one home games..

As Blue Jays spokesperson Mazz Herkeman told the press, “We are proud to announce that, starting immediately, every loyal Blue Jays fan will be able to pay, to the last nickel, a ticket price that reflects both their initial level of enthusiasm for the particular game they wish to attend, and also factor in their degree of enjoyment once they’ve attended the game.”

The new system is based on an algorithm created by the MindTronics™ Corporation that uses personal data acquired from various social media to determine the real value of a ballgame ticket to each individual fan.

The system is two-tracked: there is a pre-game and a post-game price. For the ‘Pre’ price, the algorithm determines the maximum price that, for example, Flo Miller of Etobicoke would pay to see the Jays play an afternoon game the day after her monthly “girls’ night out” with Cindy and Jill and possibly Cassie, if her beast of a husband Fred will let her out of the house for once.

The ‘Post’ price may spike if the game was especially exciting. Says Mr. Herkelmann: “Our information tells us that Juan Hidalgo of Oakville would happily pay five times his original ticket price after the fact if he was lucky enough to witness a spectacular Kevin Pillar catch at the wall.”

Under the new system, fans will allow the Blue Jays access to their bank accounts and credit cards. With just a few clicks on a computer or smartphone, the Personal Pre-Game Anticipation Andex (PPGAI) will be deducted from the fan’s account or credit card, and just like that the happy Jays supporter is all ready to “root root root for the home team.”

After the contest, the PGEI (Post-Game Enjoyment Index) is factored in, and the team simply extracts the extra amount owing for a particularly satisfying game, or offers a small credit if an aspect of the game disappoints. As spokesman Helkelmann stated: “We know how Pete Balloni of Stoney Creek goes ballistic whenever a Jay takes a called third strike with a runner at third. But, the algorithm tells us that when he sees that extra $3.18 in his account he’ll be less likely to start down the road that always ends with him yelling at his wife Betsy about how her useless brother Doug needs some sense knocked into him.”

Mr. Herkeman admitted there are occasions when conflicting data makes the establishment of ticket prices difficult. ”For example,” he said, “Bob O’Halloran of Markham would normally be willing to pay a slightly increased price for games involving the Seattle Mariners, because his brother-in-law Keith has a friend who is a coach in their minor league system, and Keith insists that Bob ‘support the Mariners organization’. In conflict with that logic, however, is the fact that Bob harbours a simmering resentment against Keith, who can be very bullying at times, especially after a few drinks.”

Mr. Herkelman concludes, “We take Bob’s mixed feelings very seriously, and his reluctance needs to be factored into our algorithm, certainly”. He says MindTronics data scientists are currently wrestling with the problem, and hope to have it solved in time for Bob to buy his usual three tickets for himself, wife Shirley and their sullen and difficult teen-aged son Kyle.

Addendum:Earlier today, sources close to the O’Halloran/Mariners situation informed ST that the ticket price will probably be lower than the algorithm would normally recommend, because Bob has been expressing concerns about laying out hard-earned cash for a game he might not be able to attend. As Bob told Shirley while waiting for their order at Kelsey’s last Thursday, “I can’t afford to blow money on a game I can’t go to because, once again, Kyle has gotten his stupid ass in trouble with the law.”