Tips to score tickets without breaking the bank

Live events have been in high demand in recent years. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, access to live events was limited, if not eliminated, in many parts of the world. When such restrictions were lifted, consumers could not get enough live entertainment. As a result, live event revenue in the entertainment and media industry was estimated to reach $68.7 billion in 2024, according to the PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2023-2027 report.

Fans of live entertainment like sports need not be told how costly it can be to see their favorite teams in person. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for sports tickets surged 25.1 percent between October 2022 and 2023. That spike left many fans feeling priced out of seeing their favorite teams in person. However, fans can try a handful of strategies to score tickets without breaking the bank.

Shop the secondary market. Great deals can be found on the secondary ticket market. Though there's never a guarantee that the secondary market will be more affordable than buying directly from a team, websites and apps like SeatGeek, Vivid Seats and others typically feature inventory long after teams release tickets through their own websites. Professional football teams may have limited inventory available for non-season ticket holders, so the secondary market may be the best option for fans who want to attend just one game. Scour these sites and apps and comparison shop between them.

Be patient. Fans would be wise to remember the adage "patience is a virtue" when shopping for sports tickets, particularly if kickoff is months away. Sellers come from all walks of life, and some might be forced to unload their tickets at the last minute at discounted prices due to scheduling conflicts. In such instances, fans keeping a watchful eye on the secondary market may be able to snatch up great seats without going broke. Especially flexible fans may be able to score the best deals by waiting until the day of the game and shopping an hour or so before kickoff. At that point, sellers may be willing to take any amount for their seats just to get something back.

Utilize price alerts. Price alerts can do the legwork for fans. Popular secondary market apps let fans set up alerts that allow them to define how much (or how little) they want to spend. When prices reach a price point fans are comfortable with, they will receive an alert via their email or a smartphone notification. Fans can then snatch up tickets right away.

Go on the road. If time allows, following a favorite team on the road might be the most affordable way to see them live. Fans who live in densely populated cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco can expect to pay more to see their favorite teams in person than fans in smaller markets. If it makes financial sense, and it might depending on where some fans live, it can be more affordable to plan a weekend getaway to see a favorite team on the road than it will be to pay inflated prices to see them play at home.

Sporting events are hot tickets, but fans can try various strategies to see their favorite teams in person without busting their budgets.