MiLB teams don't see drop in concession sales despite shorter games

Teams in MiLB "did not see a loss in concessions sales" last year as games dropped by nearly 30 minutes due to the implementation of the pitch clock, according to J.J. Cooper of BASEBALL AMERICA. One MiLB GM said fans were “staying the same amount of time as they normally would, but were now just staying until the end of the game instead of the end of the seventh inning.” Another GM added, “We did not see a negative effect on concession sales. People still eat and drink as much as they used to. The 7th-9th innings of a 3 hour, 30 minute game are not high concession sales.” A fourth operator said that their concession revenue “actually went up.” He also noted that their post-game promotions “where kids run the bases were better attended because families were much more willing to stick around for the entire game, which he took as a positive sign for developing young fans” (BASEBALL AMERICA, 3/6).