Secondary ticket market interest in this year’s World Series has soared to new heights, driven by both the return of the Mets to the Fall Classic for the first time since ’00 and still-rabid interest among Royals fans. Average resale listings for this year’s World Series were $1,437 per seat as of last night, according to ticket aggregator TiqIQ. That is the most expensive figure tracked to date for the event. Average pricing for tonight’s Game 1 at Kauffman Stadium is $873, down 7% from a comparable $940 for Game 1 at the same ballpark last year. Lower-end get-in pricing for tonight of $363 is also down from $554 a year ago. Games 3-5 at Citi Field this week are averaging $1,622. Royals execs yesterday said despite the somewhat lower aggregate resale pricing and the club’s second trip to the World Series in as many years, ticket demand is closely mirroring last year. “There’s been no let up. Demand is still really strong, and prices are still really high,” said Royals Senior Dir of Ticket Operations Anthony Blue. Like in ’14, the limited inventory the Royals have to satisfy last-minute ticket requests is largely coming from the return of seats initially allotted to other MLB clubs. The Royals also are again referring many individual ticket requests for the sold out games to StubHub, the league’s official resale partner.
NO DEDICATED CHARITABLE THEMES: MLB is moving away from dedicated charitable theme nights for each World Series game. In years past, the league has typically devoted a particular game during the first four games of the Series to a single cause, such as Stand Up 2 Cancer, Welcome Back Veterans and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Those organizations and others aligned with the league will again be prominently showcased during this year’s World Series, but in a more fluid and organic manner during the entire course of the event. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred this afternoon prior to Game 1 will help play host to a baseball skills event at the Boys & Girls Clubs of K.C.
