Customers were “shocked” to find that tickets for the 2028 L.A. Games during the ticket presale, which officials “billed as ‘affordable’ for locals, could cost a small fortune,” according to Hussain & Nguyen of the L.A. TIMES. Tickets for a single seat at the opening ceremony were on sale for “between $329 and $5,519.” Some were able to buy “cheap $28 tickets for desired events such as the women’s soccer semifinals,” but others “saw comparable prices only for preliminary events and less popular sports such as badminton and judo.” Some logging on during their time slots last week were “booted off and routed to a webpage showing an ‘Access Denied’ message.” Tickets are “still selling at a rapid clip,” a “sign of the deep excitement” over the first L.A. Games since 1984. LA28 has said that tickets in the “more affordable price ranges” will be “made available in future ticket drops, which will be open to those who don’t live in the counties closest to the Olympic venues.” The org added that the 24% ticket fee on Olympics tickets “aligns ‘with standard industry practices for ticketing live events’ and covers the costs of securely processing and delivering tickets” (L.A. TIMES, 4/8).
STANDING FIRM: In California, Daniel Farr noted LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover “defended” the pricing. Hoover said the “average ticket price is under $200” and called it “accessible.” Hoover: “These are the biggest games in Olympic history. And so in order for us to be able to deliver a fiscally responsible, as well as a safe and secure Games, our ticket prices start at $28 and offer a range of pricing for everybody.” He added, “You may get on the website and you’re not gonna necessarily find the ticket at your price in this drop. There’ll be more drops coming.” Farr noted the total number of $28 or sub-$100 tickets in future sales, including Thursday’s general release, “remains unknown.” LA28 “promises at least 1 million $28 tickets,” but dynamic pricing “could push prices higher later” (CALIFORNIA POST, 4/8).
RAISING THE BAR: In S.F., Jessica Roy wrote LA28 prices “seem to be much higher than comparable top-tier prices” for the most recent 2024 Paris Games. The most expensive tickets that year, to the opening and closing ceremonies, were “nearly $3,000 and $1,700, respectively,” while some buyers in the recent presale said that they “saw ticket availability starting at around $4,700” for the ceremonies in L.A. The basketball finals and medal ceremonies for track and field and swimming “commanded just over $1,000 in person” at the highest price in Paris. Many of those events are “running $2,500 per person or higher in L.A.” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/8).
