Etihad Stadium joins food price war with discounts on SundaysTom Cowie
The Age
March 27, 2015Etihad Stadium has responded to the footy price war instigated by the MCG with its own cheaper food, including $3 pies on Sundays.
The pie will be the cheapest at any AFL venue and forms a key plank of the ground's bid to attract more fans to games on Sundays, which will include free entry for children under 15.
And the ground's notoriously changeable grass surface will be put to the test with kick-to-kick to be trialled after Sunday games in the first part of the season.
"Match day experience" has become a buzzword recently in the AFL, as the league seeks to make 2015 the "year of the fan" with improved experiences to boost flagging crowd numbers.
The average attendance at Etihad Stadium dipped under 30,000 last season, its lowest for the past decade, and the ground has been dealt 19 Sunday games this year, which can be a hard sell for footy fans.
However the discounts don't go as far as those announced earlier this month by the MCG, which slashed prices across most of its menu. Chips, pies and hot dogs at the MCG will cost $4. A bottle of water at the MCG will drop from $5 to $3.
Etihad will match the $4 price for regular hot chips across all match days but won't be cutting the price of bottled water. Instead it will install 10 water fountains around the ground to provide free water.
Beer will be cheaper but also smaller. A 425ml schooner of beer, which will cost $7.40, will be joined by a 285ml pot for $5.
Etihad Stadium CEO Paul Sergeant said the focus of the cheaper food and water was about bringing families back to the ground, particularly on Sundays. Included in the offering will be free popcorn and fairy floss for children.
Price comparison between MCG and Etihad Stadium:Hot chips:
MCG - $4, Etihad Stadium - $4
Pie:
MCG - $4, Etihad Stadium - $4.80 ($3 on Sunday)
Soft drink:
MCG - $4, Etihad Stadium - $5.40
Bottled water:
MCG - $3, Etihad Stadium - $5
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/etihad-stadium-joins-food-price-war-with-discounts-on-sundays-20150326-1m85r5.html