World Series Game 1 Tickets Dip but Remain on Record Pace

MILWAUKEE — The ticket resale market for Friday’s World Series Game 1 at American Family Field has softened, but only somewhat, and remains squarely in line to set event records. 

The low-end get-in price in the hours leading up to the Fall Classic opener was $2,188, according to TicketData. That’s down considerably from a figure of more than $3,100 on Tuesday. But if the latest level holds until first pitch, in part featuring MLB commissioner emeritus Bud Selig, it will still set a record for the most expensive World Series get-in pricing and surpass levels seen during the Cubs-Cleveland matchup in 2016. 

While it’s common for ticket resale prices for many big sports events to ebb as game starts approach, the current ticket market in Wisconsin continues to show the remarkable fervency of Brewers fans. The club is in the World Series for the first time in 44 years, and the latest pricing is still more than twice the comparable figures for many recent World Series games in New York and Los Angeles.

“This is a clear reflection of the historic demand that we continue to see,” TicketData founder Keith Pagello told Front Office Sports. 

Lower-level ticket resale pricing at American Family Field for Game 1 generally starts at more than $4,000 per ticket, with five-figure pricing common for seats closer to home plate. All of the Brewers resale figures are also many times larger than full season-ticket pricing for the World Series that peaked at $395 per game and was as little as $185 in the upper deck. 

“I can say the electricity in the city is tangible. You can feel it,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said. “I was out [Wednesday night], and people [locally] were saying that as great as a Packers Super Bowl win is, the Bucks, obviously a terrific championship a few years ago, that the city feels even more energized now. I’m very proud of everybody, and that we were able to help contribute to that.”

The Brewers are also holding watch parties at American Family Field for the upcoming World Series games at Tropicana Field. Tickets for those events, priced at $15, sold out in minutes and have quickly generated their own resale market exceeding $120. 

Florida Trends

The World Series ticket resale market for games at the Rays’ Tropicana Field, meanwhile, has remained fairly steady. Current get-in pricing stands at $818, up slightly from a comparable $766 three days ago.

The vast difference between the Milwaukee and Tampa Bay ticket markets still means it will be cheaper for Brewers fans to buy a ticket for a Tropicana Field game, as well as flights and lodging, instead of attending the World Series in Milwaukee. 

As a result, a sizable showing of Brewers fans is expected in Florida, even as the Rays have opened the upper deck at Tropicana Field this season and have quickly developed a much larger and more vibrant fan base. The Rays, meanwhile, had a late and limited release of primary ticket inventory for Games 3 and 4, with the upper deck and standing-room pricing in line with secondary market pricing.