Rooftop Seat + Night Games = Lovable Winners?

A revenue-sharing deal with rooftop owners near Wrigley field could give the Chicago Cubs their first World Series in nearly a century.

1 minute read

February 26, 2004, 1:00 PM PST

By Peter Christiansen


Using three new revenue streams, the Chicago Cubs were able to sign free-agent pitcher Greg Maddux, giving them what is arguably the best pitching rotation in baseball and making them one of the favorites to win the World Series this year. The additional revenue sources were all city related. First, the owners of buildings within viewing distane of Wrigley Field agreed to give 17% of their rooftop-seat revenue to the Cubs. Second, the city authorized more night games, which the team make more money off of. Finally, the city made an agreement that would allow the Cubs to make some cosmetic changes in exchange for giving Wrigley Field landmark status. The cosmetic changes include 200 premium seats to be sold to the public at $200-250 per ticket. The sum of these three new revenue streams almost exactly match the annual rate of Maddux's contract.

Thanks to Peter Christensen

Thursday, February 19, 2004 in The Chicago Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

4 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

6 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine