Savannah Bananas turned down $1 million in extra ticket revenue
Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole keeps the crowd pumped up during a rain delay. Photo Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Savannah Bananas have quickly become favorites for their fun play and their fan-oriented approach, and they demonstrated that this approach is not just for show with a recent move they made.
In a post on LinkedIn, Bananas owner Jesse Cole revealed that he turned down a $1 million ticket order from a ticket reseller that would have netted the team $500,000 in extra profit. The buyer was willing to pay $50 per ticket, twice the listed price, and then list the tickets on secondary and resale markets. The practice is not uncommon, and allows teams to turn a profit while resellers can take advantage of the secondary market and get a windfall themselves.
Cole said he did not consider accepting the offer “for even a second” because of his commitment to fans.
“This practice goes against the name of our company, Fans First Entertainment and everything we stand for,” Cole wrote. “Since Day 1, we’ve prided ourselves in creating an experience that is fans first. We’ve eliminated all ticket fees, service fees, convenience fees and even paid the taxes for our fans for every single order. On the secondary market, often many of these fees plus taxes are added to the already over-priced tickets. None of this seems fans first.”
Cole added that the team has a wait list of nearly 500,000 for a planned 33-city tour in 2023, and that he wants to ensure that as many people can see the Bananas play without having to take advantage of spectators.
Few owners would pass up an opportunity like this to make extra money, but Cole is a different breed. The Bananas have prioritized the fan experience every step of the way and have been rewarded for it with widespread popularity. They have even enlisted some prominent former players to join in some stunts with them.
The Bananas are set for a nationwide tour in 2023 with games from February through September. According to Cole, the team is working to add more dates as well.