The cheapest, face-value ticket for the 2024 Super Bowl was $2,000 directly from the NFL, a price fans could only pay if they won the chance to purchase them via an official lottery system. Some might argue that the demand and value of an event like this is worth that price; however, regular season game tickets across several professional sports have also skyrocketed beyond rationality in recent years.
When WNBA franchise tickets went on sale for the Indiana Fever, prices doubled within minutes, making certain nosebleed seats cost over $200. These prices – and the demand – are unheard of for women’s sports. The demand is certainly something worth celebrating, but with how the ticket market works, high demand means higher pricing, allowing fewer fans the opportunity to purchase tickets.
Live sports are a staple of American culture. In a world where on-demand streaming has become more accessible, it’s had little impact on turn-out at sporting events. After being put on pause by the COVID-19 pandemic, sports fans around the world jumped at the opportunity to attend in-person sports matches again. Ticket prices at the time of this return were affordable, seeing as teams had to re-establish revenue after essentially going dark, but the demand quickly drove prices to a new level.
The rise in ticket-selling dynasties and scalpers certainly has not helped either. Ticket scalpers and resellers have plagued ticket sales, buying out several seats and reselling for an extremely marked-up price. This not only robs customers of an affordable game day experience but also the teams who make no profit from resale.
CNN notes that it is all by design, much to the buyer’s dismay, as teams can choose whether or not to have dynamic pricing during the sale. Recently, platforms such as Ticketmaster have been under fire for this model, which raises ticket prices as the sale occurs based on demand. When it is turned on, tickets that are advertised as being $50 face-value, may increase to over $100 in just minutes.
There are several sales strategies sports teams may use to ensure steady profit, such as limiting capacity to create more competition and backing up higher prices. New stadiums and arenas are also a common excuse for expensive face-value prices, something people with higher disposable income are able to look past.
For a family of four to attend a regular-season Bucks basketball game, the total ticket price is $250 including fees for upper-bowl seats. Four tickets to a Packers football game cost $606 total at their cheapest for a seat practically at the top of the stadium.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ticket prices for sporting events have increased by 15% between December 2022 and 2023. It is not just happening with major events either; the average NFL ticket cost $120 in 2023, an 8.6 percent increase.
Also noted by CNN, teams have turned away from being concerned with filling their stadiums, “as long as they can still hook them watching TV.” COVID is to thank for this behavior change, but it is still important to note that sports games can create a sense of community, something that was missing at the height of the pandemic.
Despite the return of in-person gatherings, it is harder than ever for some to enjoy live sports because of the lack of affordability during ticket sales. If dynamic pricing did not swipe the once-affordable nosebleeds out of reach, the scalpers who were able to get there first certainly did.
In a poll done by Ipsos in May of this year, 88% of 1,039 respondents reported that they felt sporting events are too expensive for the average person to attend. With this comes a luxury tax; something once seen as an enjoyable, once-in-a-while activity, is now an exclusive experience only accessible to those who are willing to drop a high sum to say they made it to the game.
Fan behavior has noticeably changed as well. USA Today makes the conclusion that already enthusiastic fans only become more emotionally involved when they invest a large amount into a ticket. This has fostered a new behavior where ticket sellers charge more for higher-profile events, such as a rivalry matchup or a potential celebrity appearance.
The consequence of high ticket prices was seen during the 2024 Copa America, where despite a thrilling matchup between USA and Uruguay that occurred on US soil, the number of people in Arrowhead Stadium was nowhere near its 76,000 capacity. Taking place in July, it is fair to partially attribute the heat to being a reason for a lack of turnout, but blaming the price of tickets across all 14 tournament matchups is just as reasonable. Just before the kickoff of this match, nosebleed seats remained on sale for $115, excluding fees. These were not resale prices, but Ticketmaster’s original asking price.
The rising cost of sports tickets is pricing out fans and changing the live sports landscape; a community-driven experience has become an exclusive opportunity for those who can afford it.
Live sports should be accessible to the average person, not seen as an exclusive experience. Failure to prioritize affordability will only further alienate loyal fans and continue to push the narrative that attending sports games is a status symbol.
This story was written by Lilly Peacock. She can be reached at [email protected] or @lillypeacockMU on Twitter/X.
