It is a very exciting time for baseball in the nation’s capital, as the Washington Nationals are heading to the playoffs, and are on the cusp of a division title. It is an especially significant trip for the city of DC, since it is the first time local fans get to experience postseason play since 1933, when the team was the Washington Senators. After the Senators left town in 1971, baseball didn’t return to the District until 2005.
While excitement is building for the postseason games, which begin later this week, fans are concerned about the challenge of getting home after the games. Thanks to the local daily deals website LivingSocial, fans no longer need to worry.
Bizarre as it seems, the metro system (equivalent to the subway) in Washington, DC is only open until midnight during the week, with the last train leaving the ballpark at 11:20 pm. Due to the nature of baseball–never knowing the duration of any game, there is a major risk that fans will have to choose between leaving a game early, or facing the lack of public transportation after the game. Fans already dealt with these less-than-desirable options earlier in the season when a rain-delayed, 13-inning game between the Nationals and Atlanta Braves forced many to leave the close contest early and caused many other fans to be stranded at the ballpark.
To avoid this predicament, the Nationals must pay a $29,500 per game deposit to DC Metro, in order to keep the service running for an additional hour past the final out. While other local teams like the Redskins and Capitals have paid for the service in the past, the Nationals balk at coughing up the dough. This understandably upsets fans, given the cost of continuing to run the mass transit service is equivalent to approximately one Jayson Werth at-bat. Gregory McCarthy, a Nationals VP, told the Washington Post, that the team wanted more partners involved in the matter. Fortunately for the Nationals faithful, LivingSocial has stepped in and picked up the tab.
For LivingSocial, putting up the cash is a prime PR opportunity–earning them the gratitude of thousands of baseball fans all over the District metro area (their headquarters), for a very modest price. The company also receives a full refund if at least 5,504 riders use the service in the extra hour the trains are needed. If there are fewer riders, the cost to the company is computed as the difference between the amount of the initial deposit and the amount of money actually spent by riders. With the 41,222 seat National Park expected to be filled to capacity, there is little doubt that LivingSocial will pay nothing at all for lots of positive press and brand exposure.
Since the Nationals won’t expend the relatively small amount of money needed to care for their fans, LivingSocial should be commended for ensuring a fun and safe postseason experience for the fans of this young franchise.
While Nationals fans are no longer concerned about getting home from games during October, they still must deal with their ace, Stephen Strasburg, being out of the line-up during the World Series run. Unfortunately, there is little LivingSocial can do about that.
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