Toronto Blue Jays ticket prices are skyrocketing, and they're unlikely to improve as this year's World Series quickly becomes one of the most expensive ever.
The Blue Jays will face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in Game 6 of the World Series to much fanfare. Dubbed “Team Canada,” the Blue Jays had not won a World Series since 1993 and were largely considered underdogs heading into Los Angeles. They lead 3-2 in the World Series after Wednesday's big win.
But getting tickets for Friday's game has been nearly impossible, and the situation is only getting worse.
According to Victory Live, a technology and analytics company that tracks verified transactions on the secondary market, the average price of a Game 6 is more than $2,000 US, or about $2,800 Canadian, and a potential Game 7 could cost almost $3,000, or about $4,200 Canadian, on the secondary market.
The Blue Jays can clinch the World Series title tonight against the Dodgers in Game 6 in Toronto.
“Daily trends show average prices for Game 6 have increased every day since Tuesday,” Victory Live said in a press release.
So it's no surprise that die-hard baseball fans and playoff supporters alike expressed great disappointment. Some reports even declared this year's World Series to be the most expensive sporting event in Canada.
The Blue Jays can win the World Series in Toronto on Friday.
Game 6, at nearly $2,000 per ticket, is the most expensive sporting event ever held in Canada. pic.twitter.com/6jWABkC21X
—FOS
At the time of writing, the cheapest ticket available on Ticketmaster was $1,462.50 for a single seat in the Rogers Center outer area, and the cheapest ticket available on StubHub was about $1,600.
According to Victory Live, prices for the sixth game lag behind the average cost of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts at Rogers Center last year, which averaged $2,320. However, if the Jays and Dodgers meet in Game 7, ticket prices could exceed that figure, data shows.
Spirits among Jays fans are soaring ahead of tonight's game and the prospect of bringing the World Series title back to Canada. CBC's Clara Paseka got the reaction from fans.
Sky-high prices even inspired Ontario Premier Doug Ford to speak out, promising to look into the issue.
“My personal opinion… they're blowing people's minds,” he said earlier this month. “When there is one player in the market who controls the tickets, it’s not right for people.”
Notably, Ford's own government part of the law repealed in 2019, ticket resale prices will be limited to 50 percent above face value.
