Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

A year ago the International Premier Tennis League’s inaugural visit to Delhi was a disappointment because large swathes of seating amounting to almost half of the 15,000 capacity at the IG Stadium stood empty.

Market research did not take too long to pinpoint the reason as being expense with the best seats for the three day stay amounting to the Indian rupee equivalent of more than US$700.

This year to the marketing of the event means sale targets are expected to improve this year and Gulshan Jhurani, co-owner of the hosting Indian Aces, is confident not so many empty seats will be in view.

Explaining the economics of the situation, Jhurani said: “Last year we had to pay only 15 per cent entertainment tax but this year we are paying an additional 14.5 per cent service tax, so we have tried to rationalize the pricing across all categories. We have increased price marginally in the lowest category but this year we have more saleable tickets with us, so we are hoping that more people will come and watch the action.”

Speaking to The Times of India, Jhurani explained that as per their contract with Sports Authority of India they are to give 10 per cent of total tickets as complimentary to SAI but this year they have lobbied to get it reduced to 5 per cent.

“They have agreed since it is a sporting event. In all 30 per cent of tickets go as complimentary. We don’t know those people will come or not but people who have paid for tickets will surely come. So we are selling more tickets this time and giving less complimentary, we are expecting more fans in the stadium,” he said.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.