Toronto Blue Jays supporters are encountering difficulties securing tickets for home games ahead of the World Series clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many fans attempted to purchase tickets on Ticketmaster, but face-value tickets were quickly sold out, leaving only expensive resale options. Greg Overmonds shared his experience of joining the queue at 9:45 a.m. and reaching the front by 10:40 a.m., only to find that all tickets were sold out, with resale tickets priced at $1,600 in the 500 level, exceeding his budget.
For those willing to splurge, Ticketmaster’s verified resale platform still has tickets available for all four Toronto games. Prices vary, with the cheapest seats for Game 1 in the 500s section costing over $1,300 each, while premium seats behind home base range from $3,600 to over $10,000 per ticket.
Vass Bednar, the managing director of the Canadian SHIELD Institute, highlighted the impact of digital systems on ticket purchasing. While platforms like Ticketmaster’s resale market offer protection against scams, Bednar noted that ticket sales are now controlled by large companies, potentially resulting in tickets being sold multiple times for profit.
Ticketmaster has committed to combating resellers, including limitations on the number of tickets an individual can purchase for a single event. However, the company’s efforts have faced scrutiny, with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission suing Ticketmaster and Live Nation over alleged collaboration with ticket brokers to inflate prices.
Legislation pertaining to ticket pricing varies across jurisdictions in Canada. Quebec imposes caps on resale prices, while Ontario previously attempted to introduce a cap on ticket resale prices but later abandoned the initiative due to enforceability challenges. Premier Doug Ford mentioned that his government is exploring options to address the issue of inflated ticket prices.
Experts suggest that implementing policies to cap resale prices or disclose face-value prices during the resale process could help address the issue of exorbitant ticket pricing. The current ticket market dynamics, characterized by limited supply and high demand, present challenges in regulating ticket prices effectively.
Overall, stakeholders are acknowledging the need for regulatory measures to curb escalating ticket prices and ensure fair access to live events.