Have you noticed Bulls, Blackhawks have different concession pricing at United Center?

If Chicago sports fans have ever wondered how their teams view them, perhaps they can find a clue in the United Center’s concession pricing.

You’ve probably heard of dynamic ticket pricing — where the price for the same ticket changes depending on the day, opponent, etc. — but for the first time, the two tenants of the United Center have slightly different prices for more than 20 concession items, and you can take a guess which team is charging more.

Among the majority of items that differ, prices are more expensive at Bulls games.

Hey, I get it. When you’re a two-time Play-In Tournament finalist, you can do what you want. The price differences are small, a hallmark of dynamic pricing where every nickel counts.

For instance: A domestic draft beer costs $12.49 (all prices are before taxes) at Bulls games compared with $12 at the Blackhawks. A regular soft drink costs $6.99 compared with $6.75, a pretzel costs $5.99 instead of $5.50. Digital scoreboards help make this kind of flexibility possible.

After getting a tip, I walked the concourses at recent Bulls and Blackhawks games and found the changes. According to my shoe-leather reporting, 19 concession stand items are more expensive at Bulls games compared to just two that are more expensive at Blackhawks games.

Those two pricier Blackhawks items are an individual deep dish pizza that costs $13 instead of $11.99 and a premium canned beer that costs $12 instead of $11.49. But that’s not all. Vended beers are 51 cents more at Blackhawks games.

If we really want to get technical about it, most concession items are 1 cent higher with the Hawks, but that’s only because the teams differ in the style of their price presentation. The Bulls end prices with 0.99 while the Blackhawks use a flat price. (There’s something funny about one team charging $5.99 for a water and the other $6.)

Most of these differences are small — between 24 and 49 cents — and it would be difficult for a Chicago fan who goes to both Blackhawks and Bulls games to notice. Speciality food items are only separated by a penny and the $16 carvery sandwiches are the same for both teams. It’s mostly the staples that are priced differently, along with a few random items like mojitos ($15.99 at Bulls and $13.50 at Blackhawks). I put a few examples in the chart below.

So why the change? For years, I compiled the Fan Cost Index for Team Marketing Report and I don’t remember teams that share an arena having different prices for the actual games.

“At the United Center, we tailor food and beverage offerings to create unique experiences for every event,” United Center senior director of communications Colleen Quinn wrote in an email. “Whether it’s a hockey game, basketball game, college tournament or concert, menus and pricing are designed specific for each event. This flexible approach helps us provide great experiences while supporting our operations.”

I’m not sure how charging an extra 49 cents for a domestic draft beer provides a unique experience for Bulls fans. Then again, I’m still trying to figure out why they couldn’t get a draft pick in the Alex Caruso trade and why they signed a big man who can’t dunk to a $90 million contract extension.

Who is to blame for the higher prices? The stadium concessionaire (Levy Restaurants), the United Center, or the teams? Everyone?

“The teams and the United Center work in partnership with Levy to set food and beverage pricing for the season,” Quinn wrote.

Certainly, it’s not unusual for stadiums to charge more for special events than regular sporting events, especially concerts. One United Center concessions employee told me there are now three tiers for concert pricing, though Quinn wouldn’t confirm.

“There are multiple pricing tiers set based on a number of different factors such as event type and expected attendance,” she wrote.

Let’s be clear. There is no reason for so many Bulls prices to be higher other than the obvious: the organization wants to make more money from its fans and they figured no one would know the difference. And even if they did, what are they going to do about it?

It all goes back to the idea of “dynamic pricing,” which isn’t about giving fans more options or better deals. It’s about squeezing fans. In this case, for loose change.

No team in Chicago is very dynamic right now. It’s a city of teams striving for mediocrity and mostly failing, especially at the United Center.

The Blackhawks, despite having Connor Bedard, are tied for the fewest points in the NHL, as of Monday. The Bulls are 10th in the East and have the worst defense in the NBA. Neither team will make the playoffs this season and depending on which cable provider you have, and your desire to spend money, neither team might show up on your TV screen. That’s another wrinkle.

The Blackhawks and Bulls joined with Jerry Reinsdorf’s White Sox to form a new regional sports network, the Chicago Sports Network, that can’t work out a carriage deal with Comcast, the top cable provider in Chicago. That means the majority of Bulls and Blackhawks fans can only get games if they have DirecTV, RCN or Fubo, have set up a digital antenna for over-the-air broadcasts or are willing to spend between $19.99 and $29.99 a month (or $349.99 annually) for a new direct-to-consumer app.

The carriage issues have to be hurting both teams’ bottom lines, not to mention their marketing efforts. Out of sight equals out of mind. Though it’s early — most Chicago fans are focused on being angry at the Bears — fans don’t exactly have a positive view of CHSN or its teams.

But, hey, they’re still going to games.

Entering the week of Thanksgiving, the Bulls were second in NBA attendance with an average of 19,979 through eight games. That’s down a little from recent years. Since the 2004-05 season, the only time the Bulls haven’t averaged 20,000 a game was in the 2019-20 season.

The Blackhawks were seventh in the NHL in attendance at 18,649 per game, a slight dip from last season’s figure of 18,835, which itself was a nearly 10 percent increase from the season before — thanks to the arrival of Bedard. But they’re only at 92.1 percent capacity, which is 21st in the league.

Good attendance for bad teams is something of an argument starter in Chicago, particularly for the Bulls and Cubs, two teams that draw well regardless of their records. But I don’t begrudge the fans who continue to fill the United Center for a sub-standard product. Bulls and Blackhawks games are fun. They provide an enjoyable night out. This is entertainment.

But what do the fans get in return for their loyalty? Not much right now in terms of wins and losses, but rest assured, regardless of where the Bulls and Blackhawks finish in the standings, the teams will figure out ways to get more (money) for less (winning).

Just look at the writing on the digital wall.

(Top photo of the United Center: Jon Greenberg / The Athletic)