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The cost of attending major league sports today can feel dizzying.

Tickets for the New York Knicks' first two home games at Madison Square Garden this week averaged over $6,500 on SeatGeek, more than triple the cost of comparable NBA finals two years ago.

Meanwhile, prices for the World Cup finals have become even more implausible. A report in The Atlantic showed top-tier seats for the July 19 match had shot up from $6,730 to $10,990 between October and April, prompting attorneys general in three states to launch probes into FIFA's ticketing practices. And then FIFA tripled the price, putting a staggering $32,970 price tag on premium seats in May, according to The Guardian.

Granted, for a once-in-a-lifetime matchup, a diehard fan might decide the steep entry price is worth the memories. But even when you have the cash to spare, what you wind up paying is only one hurdle.

The other is navigating the opaque live event ticketing industry — trying to figure out when to buy, where to look, and whether a better deal might drop tomorrow. It's a puzzle that may sound familiar to music fans, too. (This summer is set to be a big one for concert tours, with artists like Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, and Ed Sheeran scheduled to perform.)

So what exactly makes tickets so expensive — and the buying process feel so haphazard and frantic? A variety of forces, including a large digital resale market, demand (or "dynamic") pricing, and phased sales.

According to Todd Lindenbaum, founder of SuiteHop, an online marketplace for suite-level seating, sports teams, concert promoters, and event venues often set prices based on data from resale sites like SeatGeek and StubHub.

When demand spikes, algorithms instantly drive the prices up. Or, as was the case with FIFA, new tickets are released slowly as the event gets closer. This makes it harder to tell if it's close to being sold out.

"The new model is to release tickets slowly, in waves, so that it always looks like the show is pretty much sold out," Lindenbaum said. That "tricks people into paying more."

Then there are bots – automated software programs that scoop up huge blocks of tickets in order to resell them at a profit. (These were a problem for Taylor Swift fans back in 2022, when bot attempts crashed ticket sales for the pop star's Eras concert tour.)

Of course, an important backdrop to all this is the regulatory environment: Last year the White House directed the Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission to crack down on unfair ticketing practices. And earlier this year, a Justice Department antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation resulted in settlement requiring the Ticketmaster parent to open its venues to all promoters.

What you can do

Seeing the teams and artists you love can feel like a stressful second job. These practical strategies can help you cut through the noise, reclaim a little control, and protect your hard-earned money:

Sweat the presales. With certain events, Ticketmaster, FIFA, and other sellers give fans access before the general public — and before resellers start bumping up prices. Fan clubs and event venues may also offer this kind of first dibs. You'll usually need to register in advance and act quickly, but if you're on top of it, the leg up can help.

Track real-time pricing trends. Sites like TicketData will show you how prices have changed for specific games and concerts — and alert you when they're dropping. For example, TicketData's price history for Ariana Grande's June 9 concert in Oakland, Calif., showed tickets more than doubled to over $800 last year, then slowly dropped, falling by over $100 in the final hours before the show.

Check multiple sites more than once. Since artists and promoters may release tickets in waves, don't assume anything is sold out. Sometimes events are so popular that even seats with obstructed views are offered up, according to Ticketmaster.

Embrace the last-minute gamble. Resellers would rather get something than nothing, so you may be able to score a last-minute deal. A study by FinanceBuzz found that concertgoers who purchased tickets on the day of a concert spent 33% less than average, while those who purchased the day before saved 27%. On the other hand, those who bought tickets at least three months before a show paid nearly 14% more than the average ticket price.

Related Reading

'Blue Dot Fever'? What's Really Behind a Tricky Summer Dynamic for Live Music (CNBC)

Love Live Music? These 7 Tips Save Me Hundreds on Tickets (CNET)

How to Get Cheap Sports Tickets and Concert Tickets (U.S. News)

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