Dynamic Pricing will help this.
But, cultural traditions (stereotype alert) result in more walk-ups. Fancy ticket apps discourage this.
For spectators at home this has definitely taken away from the competition. It doesn’t help the CONMEBOL or CONCACAF sides get the respect they deserve in world football either, and it certainly doesn’t suggest that football fever is gripping the U.S. ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Hey, we’re dumb for soccer, but not stupid with our money anymore. Doubleheaders would be awesome for the money and time IMO, but that won’t happen anymore.
Add to that the fact that the average South American fan would need to spend months or years worth of their salary to follow their national team around the U.S. and you don’t exactly have a recipe for sell-out crowds.
Eh, these events are no longer for “average fans.” I’m guessing that most of the fans of foreign countries going to World Cup matches live right here in the USA, mainly cuz better than where they lived before. They won’t “follow them around.” They will go to the matches close to them. Maybe go to the Round of 32 or 16 if close.
StubHub resale tickets had buyers from 88 countries but over 90% of those were U.S. buyers. Which shows that ticket prices are more in line with an NBA Finals game than a South American football match. Yes this is the Copa América but the reality is that said prices are simply impossible for many fans to pay, especially on top of flights, accommodation and spending money if they are making the trip from South America.
What idiot would arrange for flights and lodging, then go to StubHub for a ticket? These trips are arranged more by travel agents / internet agents from that country. And you don’t go if you can’t afford the package. Them’s Capitalism.
It is difficult to compare the Copa with the European Championships taking place in Germany at the moment,…
I forehear a “but” coming.
but it is obvious that one has full grounds and the other doesn’t. This gap needs to be closed and it will only benefit the teams and tournaments from the America’s going forward if it does.
Again, all this can be solved by Dynamic Pricing, BOTH WAYS! Enough of this, “I’ll set the price, T.I.O.L.I.” I will offer a price and YOU T.I.O.L.I.! You can make them give away tickets for the purpose of breaking attendance records like Barcelona did with their women’s match a few years ago. Or, let the market do its thing, and get ticket owners to swallow their pride and sell at losses instead of eating them
Anyway, FIFA need to focus more on the pitches. Many are too small, and many require a lot more preparation for grass overlays of turf (and some are both). They had better keep on the Billionaires’ asses who operate these stadia, and have a Plan B if they need to abort a stadium from the World Cup (not in Texas, of course!)
Aside:
Just saw in my local rag what it will take for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to host both the opening AND the track and field. Easy, cuz already hosted Olympics twice before? Um, no, because they tore up the track, dug down more and added more seats (The Horseshoe did the same thing 25 years ago, removing the track where Jesse Owens broke several records.)
so, they will build a RAISED floor, put a track and whatever is needed for field events on top of that. Below could be used as warm-up and staging areas, maybe a Hunger Games’ style podium raiser.
If you need me to paste, I will.
