On Sports Marketing: In Season Two Under Bautista Regime, Las Vegas Lights Strive For Ticket Value At Cashman
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — It’s year 2 for the Las Vegas Lights soccer team under the ownership group helmed by former Major League Baseball star Jose Bautista.
In 2023, the Lights struggled in the USL Championship, winning only three games out of 34. But in 2024 in the first year of the Bautista regime, the Lights improved to winning 13 games and reached the conference final.
Attendance at Cashman Field in downtown Las Vegas was slightly less than 2,000 fans a game (1,939) last season as the Lights focused more on the product on the field than the promotional gimmicks the team was known for when team founder and previous owner Brett Lashbrook ran the club. The Lights began play in 2018, with the team known for hosting zany promotions like a helicopter that dropped money at halftime and having sponsors like the first licensed marijuana dispensary to sponsor a pro sports team in the U.S.
But those days are long gone. Today’s Lights are promoting an affordable get-in priced ticket, while also showcasing a “Premium Deck” for a more upscale fan experience at Cashman.
LVSportsBiz.com contacted the Lights to find out what’s on tap for the 2025 season, which starts March 8 with a match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Here’s Lights CEO Shawn McIntosh’s responses to our marketing questions.
LVSportsBiz.com: For Season 2 under new ownership, what will be the cheapest ticket price and what kind of group ticket deals do you foresee?
Shawn McIntosh: We’re thrilled to have just launched our season ticket memberships for 2025, with our most affordable get-in price at $12 per match for our GA Supporter’s Section. This is where our most passionate fans watch the match while chanting, jumping, and singing throughout the whole 90 minutes. Ultimately, it’s important to us that our most loyal fans – our season ticket holders and our supporters – have the best value when coming to Cashman Field.
We’ll be launching our Single Game Tickets and Flex Plans very soon, so there’s more information to come on those ticket options.
As for Group Tickets, we’ll have a slate of unique experiences tied into group packages that will cater to everyone from youth soccer teams to nonprofits to corporate outings. It’s important to us to try and build value through unique experiences and access, and these are reserved specifically for groups 10 or more to unlock a ticket discount.
We’re working hard to find more ways to engage our local youth soccer clubs by opening our field to them during half-time and post-match or giving them field-level access to serve as ball-kids. Our Premium Deck (which was new in 2024) also provides a host of opportunities for our corporate community to entertain clients and employees.
We really do think our ticket offerings cater to any and everybody in Las Vegas.
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LVSB: How did the new VIP area work out at Cashman Field? What tweaks will be done for that area and what’s the ticket price for that VIP ticket?
McIntosh: We saw tremendous feedback with the Premium Deck. It was one of our most sold-through sections with the highest ticket usage rate, and the comments we received from fans both in person and on our post-match surveys were overwhelmingly positive.
If you came to a match at Cashman Field before and after the Premium Deck was built in 2024, you would have noticed the difference, without a doubt. Obviously, we play in a stadium originally built for baseball, which presents some challenges. Filling that space (which used to be right field) with the Premium Deck made the environment far more intimate and the stadium more soccer-specific by boxing in the field.
As for changes heading into 2025, we’re focused on providing more value for the money you spend. For the Premium Deck, that means expanding the all-inclusive food into all-inclusive beer and wine, too. For our Season Ticket Members in the Premium Deck, they’ll now get access to VIP parking at no additional cost.
Our 2025 Season Ticket pricing for that Premium Deck ranges from $65 to $80 per game, with more information to come on Single Game and Flex Plans.
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LVSB: When Brett Lashbrook owned the team, the primary fan demo was the Latino and east Vegas communities. How do you plan to reach the outer suburban areas like Summerlin, Centennial and Henderson to get them to buy tickets?
McIntosh: We’re striving to be the most accessible sports option in Las Vegas. Our get-in price lowers the barrier of entry as much as possible, and we have a whole range of price options to fit exactly what you need, no matter where you’re from.
When we say accessible, though, we mean that beyond just the ticket prices. Kids here can stay after the final whistle and easily get autographs and pictures with their favorite players. You get to be up close and personal with all the athletes thanks to our smaller, intimate stadium. Our season ticket members get access to exclusive events and cool opportunities, like last season on Fan Appreciation Night when we brought our Day One STMs onto the field after the game to receive game-worn jerseys from the players.
So, honestly, we just want to create the kind of accessible and exciting environment that people want to be a part of. If you’re from East Vegas, Summerlin, Henderson… it doesn’t necessarily matter. This team is for all of Las Vegas and the surrounding area, and we’ll always keep that central to our marketing efforts.
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LVSB: In Jose’s first year it seemed like there was a concerted effort to focus on the product on the pitch and not do too many zany promotional game events – how would you describe the team’s marketing strategy regarding the game entertainment side of the game event?
McIntosh: Year two under Jose Bautista’s ownership is all about balance. For us, maintaining that professionalism around the club is our guiding north star – we don’t want to sacrifice that for the sake of a marketing gimmick.
However, I started as the club’s CEO in August of 2024, and I immediately noticed the need for us to swing back towards some great match day entertainment elements. We brought back our confetti cannons post-match for wins, which in my opinion is an awesome piece of our history. I came to Lights games as a fan when the club first started back in 2018, and I loved that confetti moment – it feels unique and authentic to the Vegas experience.
Now as we charge towards our home opener on March 8th, we’re really excited about some of our new entertainment pieces. You can expect improved production quality on everything and some collaborative efforts between our stadium entertainment team and our supporters’ section. We’ll lean into the real ethos of soccer culture where the supporters lead the environment with chanting and singing and traditions, but we’ll also have a few smart ways to amplify and blend the cool things they’re doing with our stadium entertainment team.
I don’t want to give away too much. You’ll have to be there at Cashman on March 8th to see the difference for yourself.
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LVSB: Speaking of Cashman, the city of Las Vegas wants to sell the entire complex including the stadium. Is the team looking at building a new stadium or a new location? What’s the approach for looking at a Lights long-term stadium site if the city wants to sell the Cashman complex?
McIntosh: We have an incredibly positive relationship with the city, and we’re very proud of our home here at Cashman Field as we continue to make improvements for soccer, specifically. It will certainly be our home for the near future.
However, we’re trying to build the professional soccer team that the amazing city of Las Vegas deserves. So, that does mean in the long-term finding the best stadium solution for both us and the city.
Our owner is very ambitious and has proven so far that he is willing to invest to make this team into a winner on and off the field. We’ll continue to have conversations about our future stadium plans, but for now, we’re excited to continue building the best possible product here in Downtown Las Vegas at Cashman.
