Ticket re-sale website Stub Hub tells CNN that the average price for a Super Bowl ticket is $4300. But even before the scalpers get involved, the article goes on to say the tickets were originally priced by the NFL at $700 and $900. This is just out of control, people!
OK, I understand that the Super Bowl is a pretty big deal. That’s probably an understatement, considering it only happens once a year. And this year, “pretty big deal” is even more of an understatement, because you have the Patriots trying to continue their undefeated season all the way through the post-season. (Sorry Pats fans… coming from a family of Giants fans, I gotta root for New York, even if they’re considered the underdogs.)
Still, I think it’s just ridiculous that the ticket systems in place allow ticket brokers to purchase large blocks of tickets up front, often before Joe Q. Public even has a chance. These tickets are already priced well above the means of most people, but now the ticket brokers/scalpers make it even worse.
There was a time when ticket scalping was completely illegal. Then, many places started allowing tickets to be re-sold, as long as the resale price fell within a certain limit. Now, some places have no limits at all. I think that’s just terrible. Tickets aren’t something that should be sold and re-sold. They should be a direct venue-to-customer transaction, and nothing else. No brokers, no scalpers, no re-sellers. These guys are laughing all the way to the bank, while most people never even had a fair shot at those tickets.
And this doesn’t just apply to sporting events. Look at concerts. Anytime a hot concert tour is coming to a big city, the tickets sell out within minutes. Even in not-so-big cities, certain performers still generate plenty of demand (like Hannah Montana, which I don’t understand) because people from all over God’s green earth are willing to drive 4 and 5 hours, even crossing international borders, to see the show.
According to this press release, a Florida venue opened up more tickets because “while tour promoters did put up a 4 ticket limit, scalpers with their automated purchasing programs managed to snag up quite a few tickets.”
Later in that same release, the writer concludes with, “Unfortunately many states do not have any laws to prevent reselling tickets, even at a huge profit. I think it’s time that we get some laws in place to either prevent ticket scalping altogether or to limit the amount of the reselling.”
I agree. Maybe it’s time to wipe out online ticket sales. Yes, I admit, whenever there’s a concert I want to see (which is pretty rare), I’m right on ticketmaster.com the second the tickets go on-sale. But if the websites are allowing scalpers an unfair advantage, maybe it’s time we go back to the days of making everyone wait in line at the box office. It won’t wipe out scalping completely, but it would certainly cut down on the practice significantly. Scalpers can’t buy up as many tickets if they have to wait in line with everyone else, and they’re limited to 4 or 8 tickets like everyone else.
What do YOU think? Leave your comments below.
0 Responses to “Commentary: Pricey Pro-Sports Tix”