MLB Once Again Making Money at the Expense of Fans

There is probably some truth in that.  Does this mean that MLB has to partner with a ticker scalper? The reselling of tickets for sold out games has been going on for as long as I have been going to games, and probably much longer.  I can't imagine Bud Selig cutting a deal with the people who have always stood outside the parks yelling, “Got two here, who needs two?”

The reason so many games are sold out and fans have to turn to online ticket brokers is because many, if not most, of the tickets bought directly from the teams are purcahsed for the sole purpose of immediately being resold online.  The Red Sox, for example, are sold out of nearly every seat to every game months before the season begins.  But go to EBay, StubHub, Ace Ticket, or any other, and one can find hundreds and hundreds of tickets to any of the 81 Fenway games.

If instead of promoting online ticket scalping, MLB tried to do something to limit it, I belive many of these tickets that are now only available on the web, would become available at face value through the team’s individual ticket offices.

And even if nothing can be done that would result in a higher-percentage of highly-sought after tickets being available at face value through the teams, that does not mean MLB should be in bed with ticket scalpers.  I find it awfully disrespectful and insulting that Major League Baseball would sign deals with these groups, promote their use, and push fans to buy tickets at prices that dwarf face value.  

At the very least, I would like to see MLB do something to force StubHub to control its prices for baseball tickets.  That I am sure is asking too much from the $14-million commissioner.   

It does not surprise me that baseball again places making record profits at the top of its priority list – and unfortunately it does not surprise me either that helping the average fan slides further and further down this list.   

Also, I guess I am not surprised that traditional media outlets did not even blink an eye at this story or really explore the impact the deal and online ticket brokers in general have on the cost to fans to get to a game.

A few years back I exchanged e-mails with a prominent writer from a major newspaper on the issue of what role, if any, baseball organizations have in trying to control the resale of tickets.  The writer did not really seem to care, and then obnoxiously wrote that essentially even if there is a problem, it didn’t effect him personally, because he “had the foresight to purchase four season tickets in 1991.”

According to this writer, there is no story here.  Traditional media outlets will trot out the same boiler-plate article every year when there is any change in the face-value price of tickets.  Same article as last year, just change the numbers. But no reason to ask a few questions, do some research, or look into whether or not baseball should be making deals with ticket scalpers.

If fans can’t get tickets to see their favorite teams – well, get season tickets or go to StubHub.  If those two options don’t work, don’t expect the media or Bud Selig to offer any help. 

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