Toronto Blue Jays supporters encountered difficulties securing tickets for the upcoming World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, facing a challenging task even before the games commenced. Fans lined up online on Ticketmaster as ticket sales went live at 10 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday. However, primary tickets were swiftly sold out, leaving only high-priced resale options available.
One fan, Greg Overmonds, logged in early at 9:45 a.m. but found himself in the 22,000th position in the queue. Despite reaching the front at 10:40 a.m., all primary tickets were already sold out, leaving only a $1,600 resale ticket in the upper 500 level, exceeding his budget.
Expressing disappointment, Overmonds stated, “It feels like we’re being excluded from something that we’ve been so dedicated for.” For those willing to splurge, verified resale tickets for all four Toronto games are still accessible on Ticketmaster.
Ticket prices vary significantly, with the cheapest seats for Game 1 in the 500s section costing over $1,300 each. Premium seats behind home base range from $3,600 to over $10,000 per ticket, depending on the location.
Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian SHIELD Institute, emphasized the impact of digital systems on ticket sales, highlighting the dominance of major companies in brokering each transaction. While resale platforms like Ticketmaster provide consumer protection, they also centralize ticket sales under corporate control.
The absence of legislative controls on ticket pricing in various Canadian jurisdictions allows for inflated resale prices, with Quebec being a rare exception that limits resale rates. Despite past attempts in Ontario to regulate ticket resale prices, such efforts were abandoned due to enforcement challenges.
Amid concerns of market manipulation and price gouging, stakeholders are advocating for policies to curb dynamic pricing and increase transparency in ticket resales. Addressing these issues could help restore balance between supply and demand in the ticketing industry.