World Series tickets pricey, but expert says they’re in line with other big events

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — What happens when the two most valuable baseball franchises from the two largest cities in the country meet on baseball’s biggest stage – the World Series?

Demand skyrockets.

“The last time this happened was 1981 and the teams have met (in the World Series) 12 times over history,” said Greg Nortman, executive vice president of ticketing and revenue partnerships at On Location. “This is appealing to every generation. It was a huge rivalry in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s and it’s re-engaging now.”

How do this year’s ticket prices compare to previous World Series?

Last year the average ticket price to a home game in Arizona was $843. And to get into a Texas Rangers game, it was a little over $1,100. This year, a ticket to Dodger Stadium averages over $1,300 and for a seat in Yankee Stadium, about $1,900.

World Series tickets are actually less than what you can expect to pay for some other major sporting events, like a soccer World Cup game, which can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000. And Super Bowl tickets average from $2,500 to $6,000.

“It’s a traveling event. There’s seven games, they go back and forth and so some of that demand can dissipate over those seven games,” Nortman said. “Some fans can travel to them for different locations. For the Super Bowl, for the Masters, for the Final Four, you’ve got one shot at it and so that’s reflected in the pricing.”

Nortman says if you’re waiting for those prices to drop, be careful. He says knowing how excited people are for this event, the gamble might not pay off.