Tickets for the Los Angeles Olympics went on sale for locals in LA as well as Oklahoma City this past weekend but tickets for final sessions of swimming are sold out. Users have provided mixed reviews on the process. In total, ticket and hospitality sales are expected to bring in $2.5 billion in revenue.
$2.5 Billion Line Item From Ticket & Hospitality Sales
The LA Olympics organizing committee set a budget of ~$7 billion for the Games. These expenses are expected to be covered by numerous categories including domestic sponsorships, ticket sales, hospitality, licensing, and a significant contribution from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from its broadcast and international sponsorship agreements.
Ticket and hospitality sales are expected to bring in roughly $2.5 billion and based on the prices seen so far, swimming specifically is expected to bring in more than $150 million, or at least 6% of ticket sale revenue.
Swimming Ticket Sales
As of Friday, finals tickets for swimming ranged from $186.05 to $1,860.45 per session. Prelims tickets range from $93.02 to $1,116.27 per session. The cheapest and cheaper tickets were almost all gone soon after tickets went on sale, and as of yesterday, Sunday, April 5th, the cheapest tickets were $806.20 for prelims and $1,860.45 for finals, meaning that only the top categories remained. As of Monday, April 6th, no finals tickets remain for the ticket drops that have happened, more ticket drops are expected. Only a portion of the tickets were made available for the local presale, so it’s likely that more will be available once sales open for the general public on April 9th. (See picture below for categories, green is category A at the highest price)
In addition to the high prices that remain, users report that 24% of the ticket prices are tagged “service fee.” This is a steep increase from the 1.5% service fee that the 2024 Paris Olympics had.
Not only have prices increased, but some users have reported a difficulty with the website while others have not found any issues. One user told SwimSwam, “the cart window has no scrolling and stretches out too long for the check-out button to show up.” Another had a positive review saying, “It’s really organized.” The same positive user also told SwimSwam the allocated diving tickets that have dropped are sold out and that water polo is also “expensive.”
There is not any control of ticket resales, so is it expected that many of the cheaper tickets that have already been bought up will be resold at a higher price. Official ticket resales open in 2027.
Prelims Ticket Prices Range:
- A: $1,116.27
- B: $806.20
- C: $558.14
- D: $372.09
- E: $279.07
- F: $161.24
- G: $93.02
- H: $49.61
Finals Ticket Prices Range:
- A: $1,860.45
- B: $1,395,34
- C: $1,116.27
- D: $744.18
- E: $558.14
- F: $310.08
- G: $186.05
- H: $104.19
Screenshots courtesy Rob Craven
I just got the email that my time slot starts April 17th. Unless they are dropping new tickets throughout that window there will be nothing left by that date, considering the next drop opens on April 9th. I’m not optimistic about this. I’d be willing to pay the nosebleed price for one Swimming finals session. But otherwise everything is way too expensive. I live within driving distance, and I would just do a turnaround drive with no flights or hotels, likely. Or possibly fly in and fly out same day. But not at these insane prices.
Does anybody know what the different time slots are? Mine is April 9 at 10:00 PT. Is that the first one?
I think so. My daughter’s time slot is is Apr 9. Mine is Apr 17. My husband hasn’t been selected yet.
This is pretty sad. I attended the 2024 Olympics in Paris and it was a great experience. Sure, the tickets were expensive, but not this expensive!
Two other great things that Paris did: First, there was an official resale site and, because of French law, tickets could only be sold for face value or less. We DESPERATELY need this law in the USA!! Second, there was plenty of availability when I was given a time slot to buy tickets (in 2022 lol), but even if there hadn’t been, the resale site pretty much always had stuff available, especially as the Olympics got closer (people’s plans change, etc.).
I had such a great time in Paris and was really looking… Read more »
I was in Paris too. I agree the site to order pre sale tickets when they released was great. The resale could only be sold at face value. That was great.
swim prelims are basically the same prices as T&F finals for the same ticket brackets. and there you’re getting two sports in one…
A perspective on Oly ticket prices. I attended the Olympics in Munich, Montreal and Atlanta. Could not get swimming tickets through the lottery process for the first two. Did get swimming tickets to Atlanta and remember paying $150+ for a prelim ticket on the second drop which required 159 phone calls ( kept track – no internet sales back then). Total travel cost from U.S. to Munich for airline tix, competition tickets, six weeks travel, lodging, car rental, etc. etc. for three was $3,576.
Total ticket cost for 16 days of Atlanta Games tickets (only) was exactly $3,576. Closing ticket cost for Munich closing ceremony was $35. Opening ceremony ticket in Atlanta $636.
And look at swimming prices now. I’ve… Read more »
$150 in 1996 is about $310 today, so I guess it depends on how good the seat was.
I had two different sessions for that price. First session was first row. Second was half way up at 35 meter mark. Both good seats.
As someone with a degree in economics, seeing as the tickets are flying off the shelves they actually might have under priced the tickets!
As a human being and swim fan, holy moly these ticket prices basically eliminate any chance of attending for a non upper class family. If you’re a swim family, having the Olympics in your country is a gift but when your tickets are more expensive than the flight to get there, that’s just not doable for most.
Hopefully they put on a good show and the crowd lucky enough to be able to attend or afford tickets make it loud and exciting.
I’d bet that a significant percentage of tickets are being bought to resell for profit. It has become one of the most American things.
My economics theory is that the internet has ruined ticket prices, because it’s too easy for a millionaire in Miami to buy a ticket in Los Angeles for 2 years from now. Bring back the box office!
Seem like they learned from FIFA how to sell Olympic tickets
This is an obscenity. And I say this not only as the parent of an Olympic swimmer, but as a lifelong fan of the sport. Nothing good (other than “profits”) can come from extorting spectators like this.