With the Phillies in the World Series, many fans in the area are paying big bucks to see the games at Citizens Bank Park starting Monday.
Phillies-Astros World Series tickets are the hottest in the area right now.
These are the first Phillies’ World Series home games in more than a decade and seats for them hit an average of more than $3,200 – the second-highest average World Series ticket price in Major League Baseball history.
There are multiple reasons for the high prices including baseball’s championship is at stake, it only happens once a year, and it’s more than a game, it’s an event.
University of Delaware Sports Management professor Matt Robinson adds the Phillies 13-year absence from the series and their fans' passion also plays a role.
"And then when you add in the dynamic that the Phillies - number one, Philadelphia is an incredibly passionate sports town, with incredible loyalty to their brand or their team, and the fact that they have not been here in over a decade, adds to that,” said Robinson. “If the Phillies make a run, which would be great, for three or four years in a row, you may see that [ticket price] drop."
Robinson notes another issue is that the World Series is a Major League Baseball event, not a Phillies event - so fewer tickets are allocated to fans because of national sponsors and every other team gets tickets.
The Phillies’ trip to the World Series not only means a successful season for the team. It can also mean an economic boom for area businesses.
The restaurants and bars across the region have had a big Phillies presence this October which translates into people spending money that helps stimulate the local economy.
And fans are buying new Phillies gear - with or without the World Series logo - to supplement what they already have to show their support.
University of Delaware Sports Management professor Matt Robinson adds the Phillies’ run offers another type of economic boost.
"But I always talk about with a sporting event is this idea of what they call a psychic economy. It's not quantifiable, but it's just that the feel good that you have right now associated with the city. That there's a sense of pride associated with it. There's total strangers hugging each other, patting each other on the back, feeling pride," said Robinson.
That pride can prompt people to spend big on the limited number of World Series tickets available. Prices for games at Citizens Bank Park have hit an average of more than $3,200.
Robinson says the Phillies’ long absence from the World Series and the fact it’s a once-a-year championship event also drive up ticket prices.
