Priced out: Why local soccer fans are facing 'sticker shock' for the World Cup
Lindsay Owens, executive director of the economic think tank Groundwork Collective that focuses on prices and affordability, says she has seen resale seats going as high as $23,000.
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For soccer fans across the tri-state, excitement over the World Cup is quickly turning into sticker shock - with some tickets now selling for tens of thousands of dollars.
Lindsay Owens, executive director of the economic think tank Groundwork Collective that focuses on prices and affordability, says she has seen resale seats going as high as $23,000.
"There are a lot of ways FIFA could choose to allocate those tickets. They could focus on using a lottery system, so everyone has a shot at a ticket...they could use a line - first-come, first-served - but instead, they've chosen to really auction off the tickets to the highest bidder," says Owens. "And we will see a World Cup that is more inhabited by investment bankers and hedge fund managers
She says this resulted in the most expensive World Cup in world history - and $13 billion in revenue for FIFA across the four-year cycle.
After initial backlash, FIFA did release a number of limited $60 tickets, but Owens says there simply weren't enough of them.
"The total number of tickets comes to less than 2% of seats for the World Cup this year," says Owens.
The rest are subject to dynamic pricing and an uncapped resale market.
In response, FIFA sent News 12 a statement defending the high prices, saying they match what fans already pay for big events and that the money goes back into growing the game around the world.
But experts are still predicting resale prices to keep climbing as the tournament gets closer - which may leave many local fans watching the games from home.
If you've been impacted by high ticket pricing, Tara Rosenblum wants to hear from you. You can reach her by clicking here.
