Attending sporting events has gotten complicated—and expensive. Between 1999 and 2020, the price of a seat rose roughly twice as fast as overall consumer prices. The situation has only gotten worse post-pandemic.
According to government data, average sports ticket pricing rose more than 25% between October 2022 and October 2023. Between May 2023 and this year, they rose another 21.7%, the biggest jump of any category tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Younger adults have shown more interest in live events while a post-pandemic mindset has continued to drive spending on here-and-now experiences, economists say. Ultimately, the change may be a simple issue of supply and demand. Teams are as popular as ever, and there are only so many seats to accommodate growing fanbases.
At the same time, buying tickets—especially cheap or discounted seats—now requires considering multiple apps, sites and offers for deal-hunting fans.
What is the best way to buy sports tickets?
“Good. Fast. Cheap,” the adage goes. “You can only pick two.”
A similar rule dominates the world of ticket-buying: Available, trustworthy, (relatively) inexpensive. You can only pick two.
In some ways, buying sports tickets is now easier than ever; long lines at ticket offices and little information about what’s on offer have been replaced by a seemingly infinite set of apps and websites that sell seats at the click of a button.
But the new world order has also brought with it dynamic pricing, removing certainty about how much certain spots are worth, as well as a murkiness surrounding whether the listing you’re viewing is being offered directly by the team, through an authorized reseller, by a professional flipper, or just via another fan.
In many cases, teams partner directly with ticket brokers to guarantee revenue and receive expert support in maximizing revenues. Increasingly, franchises also look for ways to offload discount tickets via hard-to-find promotions. This way, season-ticket holders and other regulars aren’t presented with the fact that there might have been a cheaper way to see the game.
Fans willing to pay higher fees can use the biggest sites, which usually offer the most inventory. Or they can brave the likes of resale on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, hoping to find a deal but risking being taken for a ride.
Several startups have popped up recently offering entirely different business models. Seat Club intends to build a Costco-like model where annual members can buy tickets fee-free. The Marlins, meanwhile, have worked with TicketRev to explore a name-your-price feature for fans.
Other sites, such as aviewfrommyseat.com, let fans preview seating options to ensure they get their money’s worth.
Unfortunately, there’s no secret to getting cheap sports tickets. The best advice is to:
- Identify multiple games you’re interested in attending and a budget you’d like to stick to
- Price compare on multiple marketplaces, keeping in mind that some show fees up-front while others tack them on later
- Be ready to pay more than ever.
In the meantime, some fans have returned to the old-fashioned way, showing up at the box office and seeing what’s for sale. They might not get a deal, but that’s the tradeoff they’re willing to make.
When is the best time to buy sports tickets?
If you’re willing to risk not going at all, it can pay off to wait until the last minute before buying discount sports tickets. In 2011, Duke researchers found that ticket prices generally decline as games approach, “even for the highest demand games.” An analysis of NFL tickets sold in 2021 found that gameday itself was the most advantageous time to buy.
This is different than in other industries, such as air travel, where providers believe last-minute buyers have less flexibility and therefore more willingness to pay up.
However, if a game is close to sold out or turns into a marquee event, ticket prices have also been known to rise. It’s also worth noting that some online ticket sales are limited once a contest is underway.
How to buy sports tickets without fees
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act in May, the latest government effort to reduce hidden fees in the industry. The bill would require ticket sellers to implement all-in pricing.
Many major ticket platforms such as Live Nation-owned Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and TickPick committed last summer to begin showing full prices up front. TickPick advertises no-fee tickets, though they charge a seller fee. Season-ticket holders and those buying directly from a ticket holder may also be able to avoid fees.
A 2018 study from the US Government Accountability Office found that ticketing companies were charging fees of 27 to 31% on average. Much of that collected money can find its way back to the teams and leagues making the tickets available in the first place, depending on the deals they have in place with online marketplaces.
In a May lawsuit, the US Department of Justice alleged that anti-competitive practices from Live Nation lead to fans paying more in fees. The company has rationalized the fees as compensation for venues and ticketing providers for the costs and services required to put on events and manage admission. It says primary ticketing company’s generally collect 2% of the average ticket price in profit.
