The Highlanders are happy with the uptake of their season ticket scheme after 400 new members signed up.
The franchise had come up with a ratepayer discount scheme for season tickets, which had a price of the six games in Dunedin at under $100.
As of yesterday, about 550 season ticket memberships had been renewed, about 60% of last year's season ticket-holders, while another 400 membership tickets have been sold to new members.
Highlanders chairman Ross Laidlaw was happy with the response and said the target was to sell 1650 memberships, which he was hopeful of reaching.
Ticket renewals were well ahead of the same time last year, and the special offer to ratepayers had a week to go, expiring on February 7.
Laidlaw said the franchise made its income from selling ground member tickets, gate sales and sponsorship, so ticket sales were important.
"It is a difficult one to judge whether we want to bring the price down and get the bums on seats or still have the higher income.
Ideally you want to get more people along at a fair price," he said.
He felt less than $15 was a cheap price to watch a game.
He said the Highlanders were bearing the cost of the cheap tickets, and not the Otago Rugby Football Union or the Dunedin City Council.
The price was also locked in for next year, when the Highlanders would play their games at the new Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Many of the season ticket-holders who had not yet signed up had been contacted by Highlanders staff and had indicated they were going to renew their tickets but had not got round to it.
Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said to sit on 60% renewal of memberships from last year was superb just under a month out from the first game.
Memberships had been sold in Balclutha at the weekend, where the Highlanders played their first pre-season game.
He said the Otago region had responded well to the ratepayer incentive discount, and the time payment scheme available.
The Highlanders' first home game is against the Chiefs at Carisbrook on February 25.
