How Rupert Murdoch Changed Sports Media Forever
On Tuesday night, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit home run No. 60, tying Babe Ruth’s single-season Yankees record.
Since then, Yankees fans have been shelling out to watch his continued quest to pass Roger Maris, according to data StubHub provided to Front Office Sports. Demand for all remaining Yankees home games went up 20% between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
“Experiencing a moment in sports history is quickly becoming a bucket-list ticket,” StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said in a statement to FOS. “The opportunity to see Aaron Judge surpass the American League home run record for a season is one of those moments.”
Judge did not homer on Wednesday night against the Pirates. But in anticipation of the game, ticket sales went up twofold. On Wednesday afternoon, ticket prices ranged from $6 to about $2,000, with the average price increasing 25%.
Bleacher seats more than doubled from Tuesday to Wednesday night, as some fans hoped to catch a historic home run ball. The average price increased from $39 to $69 — a 75% hike.
The rest of the Yankees’ homestand has also seen increasing popularity.
Demand for the four-game series against the rival Red Sox — a hot ticket even without a historic record on the line — went up 14% between Tuesday and Wednesday. For the Friday night game, for example, tickets were going for anywhere between $39 and $3,000.
“Fans are excited by the possibility of Judge breaking the single-season record against a rival before the Yankees hit the road next week,” Budelli said.
Numbers will likely spike even more now as Judge has four opportunities to make history in the Bronx.
