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Sensitivity Analysis & Model Validation

PolicyEngine

Question: Why Does 7BeerCeilingCause7 Beer Ceiling Cause 32 Ticket Increase?

The model predicts a 5.8x multiplier: 5.50beercut5.50 beer cut → 32 ticket rise.

This seems large. Let’s stress test and validate.

import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '../')

from src.model import StadiumEconomicModel
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import plotly.graph_objects as go

Data Validation

Yankees Actual Attendance (2024-2025)

Source: Baseball-Reference.com, ESPN

  • 2024 average: 41,896/game

  • 2025 average: 40,803/game (as of June 2025)

  • Capacity: 46,537

  • Attendance rate: 87-88%

Model assumption: 85% capacity = 39,556 ✓ (close to reality)

# Validate attendance calibration
capacity = 46537
actual_attendance_2024 = 41896
actual_attendance_2025 = 40803
model_assumption = capacity * 0.85

print("Attendance Calibration:")
print(f"  2024 actual:      {actual_attendance_2024:,} ({actual_attendance_2024/capacity:.1%})")
print(f"  2025 actual:      {actual_attendance_2025:,} ({actual_attendance_2025/capacity:.1%})")
print(f"  Model baseline:   {model_assumption:,.0f} ({0.85:.1%})")
print(f"  Error:            {abs(model_assumption - actual_attendance_2025):,.0f} ({abs(model_assumption - actual_attendance_2025)/actual_attendance_2025:.1%})")
print("\n✓ Model assumption within 3% of reality")

Cost Decomposition

Fixed vs Marginal Costs

Critical distinction: Most stadium costs are FIXED (don’t vary with attendance).

# Cost breakdown
beer_costs = {
    'Raw beer (wholesale)': 1.00,
    'Cup/packaging': 0.50,
    'Labor (pouring)': 1.50,
    'Overhead/equipment': 1.00,
    'Refrigeration/storage': 0.50,
    'Insurance/licensing': 0.50
}

ticket_fixed_costs = {
    'Stadium debt service': 50.00,
    'Baseline utilities': 20.00,
    'Core staff salaries': 30.00,
    'Maintenance': 15.00,
    'Property taxes': 10.00
}

ticket_marginal_costs = {
    'Variable labor (ushers)': 2.00,
    'Incremental cleaning': 1.00,
    'Wear/tear': 0.50
}

print("BEER COSTS (per beer):")
for item, cost in beer_costs.items():
    print(f"  {item:<30} ${cost:.2f}")
print(f"  {'─'*30} ───────")
print(f"  {'TOTAL MARGINAL':<30} ${sum(beer_costs.values()):.2f}")
print()

print("TICKET FIXED COSTS (per game, regardless of attendance):")
for item, cost in ticket_fixed_costs.items():
    print(f"  {item:<30} ${cost:,.0f}")
print(f"  {'─'*30} ───────")
print(f"  {'TOTAL FIXED':<30} ${sum(ticket_fixed_costs.values()):,.0f}")
print()

print("TICKET MARGINAL COSTS (per additional fan):")
for item, cost in ticket_marginal_costs.items():
    print(f"  {item:<30} ${cost:.2f}")
print(f"  {'─'*30} ───────")
print(f"  {'TOTAL MARGINAL':<30} ${sum(ticket_marginal_costs.values()):.2f}")
print()

print("KEY INSIGHT: Ticket MC is ~$3.50, NOT $20")
print("This makes ticket margins VERY high and explains large price increases.")

Stress Test: Ticket Response to Beer Ceiling

Testing how ticket prices respond under different assumptions:

# Stress test with different parameters
results = []

for ticket_mc in [3.50, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0]:
    for beer_mc in [3.0, 5.0, 7.0]:
        model = StadiumEconomicModel(ticket_cost=ticket_mc, beer_cost=beer_mc)
        
        t_current, b_current, r_current = model.optimal_pricing(beer_price_control=12.5)
        t_ceiling, b_ceiling, r_ceiling = model.optimal_pricing(beer_price_control=7.0)
        
        results.append({
            'ticket_mc': ticket_mc,
            'beer_mc': beer_mc,
            'ticket_current': t_current,
            'ticket_ceiling': t_ceiling,
            'ticket_change': t_ceiling - t_current,
            'multiplier': (t_ceiling - t_current) / 5.50
        })

df = pd.DataFrame(results)
print("Ticket Price Response to $7 Beer Ceiling:")
print()
print(df.to_string(index=False))
print()
print(f"Average multiplier: {df['multiplier'].mean():.1f}x")
print(f"Range: {df['multiplier'].min():.1f}x to {df['multiplier'].max():.1f}x")

Marginal Revenue Analysis

Why is the ticket increase so large? Check marginal revenues:

model = StadiumEconomicModel(ticket_cost=3.50)  # Realistic MC

# Calculate marginal revenue at current vs ceiling scenarios
epsilon = 0.01

def marginal_revenue(ticket_price, beer_price, var='ticket'):
    """Calculate marginal revenue from small price change."""
    r_base = model.stadium_revenue(ticket_price, beer_price)
    
    if var == 'ticket':
        r_plus = model.stadium_revenue(ticket_price + epsilon, beer_price)
    else:
        r_plus = model.stadium_revenue(ticket_price, beer_price + epsilon)
    
    mr = (r_plus['profit'] - r_base['profit']) / epsilon
    return mr

# At current prices
mr_ticket_current = marginal_revenue(77, 12.5, 'ticket')
mr_beer_current = marginal_revenue(77, 12.5, 'beer')

# At ceiling
mr_ticket_ceiling = marginal_revenue(112, 7.0, 'ticket')

print("Marginal Revenue Analysis:")
print()
print("At baseline ($77 ticket, $12.50 beer):")
print(f"  MR from $1 ticket increase: ${mr_ticket_current:,.0f}")
print(f"  MR from $1 beer increase:   ${mr_beer_current:,.0f}")
print()

print("At $7 beer ceiling ($112 ticket, $7 beer):")
print(f"  MR from $1 ticket increase: ${mr_ticket_ceiling:,.0f}")
print(f"  MR from beer increase:      CONSTRAINED (can't change)")
print()

if mr_ticket_current < 0:
    print("⚠️  WARNING: Negative MR from tickets at current prices!")
    print("   This means we're past the profit-maximizing point.")
    print("   Suggests ticket demand may be TOO inelastic in model.")

Why The Large Multiplier?

Diagnosis

The 6x multiplier happens because:

  1. Beer margin collapses: 11.4111.41 → 6.35 stadium receives (-44%)

  2. Ticket margin is huge: 77price77 price - 3.50 cost = $73.50 margin

  3. Ticket demand calibrated very inelastic: Can raise price substantially

  4. Complementarity is weak: Only 10% cross-effect

Economic mechanism:

  • Beer becomes unprofitable (margin < costs when internalized)

  • Stadium shifts aggressively to tickets (unconstrained, high margin)

  • Willing to lose attendance to extract more ticket surplus

Is 6x Realistic?

Arguments it’s too high:

  • Real ticket demand likely more elastic

  • Stronger complementarity (fans really care about beer)

  • Competitive constraints (other entertainment)

Arguments it could be real:

  • Yankees have strong brand (inelastic demand)

  • NYC market (limited alternatives)

  • Sunk cost fallacy (fans already committed)

Verdict: Likely overestimated but directionally correct (tickets should rise).

Robustness Checks

# Test different complementarity levels
print("Effect of Complementarity Strength:")
print()

# Can't easily change cross-elasticity without modifying model
# Instead, show range of plausible responses

scenarios = [
    {"name": "Weak complement (model)", "cross_e": 0.1, "ticket_rise": 32},
    {"name": "Medium complement", "cross_e": 0.3, "ticket_rise_est": 25},
    {"name": "Strong complement", "cross_e": 0.5, "ticket_rise_est": 18},
]

print("If tickets and beer are stronger complements:")
print("  → Cheaper beer attracts more fans")
print("  → Less need to raise ticket prices")
print("  → Multiplier would be lower (2-3x instead of 6x)")
print()
print("Current model uses weak complementarity (10%),")
print("which may underestimate how much fans value beer access.")

Data Limitations

What We DON’T Have

NO PUBLIC DATA on:

  • ❌ Actual Yankee Stadium beer sales volumes

  • ❌ Yankees-specific price elasticities

  • ❌ Profit margins (proprietary to Legends Hospitality)

  • ❌ Cost accounting details

Why: Concession data is PROPRIETARY

What’s Calibrated vs Literature

From literature (empirical):

  • ✅ General MLB ticket elasticity: -0.49 to -0.76 (Noll 1974, Scully 1989)

  • ✅ General alcohol elasticity: -0.79 to -1.14

  • ✅ Stadium alcohol consumption: 40% drink (Lenk et al. 2010)

  • ✅ Crime externalities: Real estimates (Carpenter & Dobkin 2015)

Calibrated to match observed prices:

  • ⚙️ Demand sensitivities (λ): Chosen to make 80/80/12.50 optimal

  • ⚙️ Internalized cost (α=250): Calibrated, not measured

  • ⚙️ Marginal costs (3.50/3.50/5): Educated guesses

Model is ILLUSTRATIVE, not predictive.

Sensitivity to Ticket Demand Elasticity

# Since we can't easily vary λ_ticket in model,
# show theoretical relationship

print("Theoretical: How ticket response depends on elasticity:")
print()
print("If ticket demand is MORE elastic (fans more price-sensitive):")
print("  → Can't raise tickets as much without losing attendance")
print("  → Smaller ticket price increase")
print("  → Lower multiplier (maybe 2-3x)")
print()
print("If ticket demand is LESS elastic (Yankees die-hards):")
print("  → Can raise tickets substantially")
print("  → Large ticket price increase")
print("  → Higher multiplier (6-8x)")
print()
print("Current calibration: Very inelastic (λ=0.017)")
print("  → Produces 6x multiplier")
print("  → May overestimate Yankees fans' price tolerance")

Recommendations for Interpreting Results

Use Model For:

  1. Directional effects: Beer ceiling → tickets rise (✓)

  2. Mechanisms: Why complementarity matters (✓)

  3. Trade-offs: Profit vs welfare vs externalities (✓)

  4. Order of magnitude: Tens of millions in impacts (✓)

Don’t Use For:

  1. Exact predictions: “Tickets will rise exactly $32” (❌)

  2. Point estimates: Treat as illustrative, not forecast (❌)

  3. Yankees-specific forecast: Need proprietary data (❌)

Plausible Range for Ticket Response

$7 beer ceiling likely causes:

  • Conservative: +$10-15 ticket increase (2-3x multiplier)

  • Model prediction: +$32 (6x multiplier)

  • Aggressive: +$40-50 (if demand very inelastic)

Reality probably:

  • Between conservative and model

  • ~$15-25 ticket increase

  • 3-4x multiplier

Why model may overestimate:

  • Ticket demand calibrated too inelastic

  • Complementarity too weak

  • Missing competitive constraints

Conclusion

The 6x multiplier is likely an overestimate due to:

  1. Ticket demand calibrated very inelastic

  2. Fixed costs treated as marginal

  3. Weak complementarity assumption

More realistic estimate: 3-4x multiplier (~$15-20 ticket increase)

Directional insight remains valid: Beer price ceiling → Stadium shifts to ticket revenue → Tickets rise substantially

For policy: Even with lower multiplier, beer ceiling still causes major distributional effects.