On Monday, the day after the Dodgers clinched their World Series spot against the New York Yankees, tickets were sold out on the Dodgers’ website. On StubHub, the cheapest price for a Game 1 ticket was $1,326.
On Friday morning, on the day of Game 1, the cheapest price for a Game 1 ticket was $823 — a 38% drop from Monday. The Dodgers’ website had scattered tickets available, at a minimum of $945.
None of these seats are particularly great. The tickets are primarily for seats high up in the reserve level, often near a foul pole. But, if you just want to be there and you are willing to consider an admittedly high price, that price is cheaper Friday than it was Monday.
The Dodgers control much of their resale market. They are not the only team to do this. If a team sells you a ticket for $300 and you resell it for $1,000, the true market value of that ticket is $1,000. The team would rather that $700 difference goes into its pocket, not yours.
The Dodgers use analytics to help anticipate demand and determine ticket prices. Sometimes, that means tickets are overpriced. Sometimes, that means tickets are underpriced. With ticket sales almost entirely an online process these days, teams constantly adjust prices based on supply and demand.
Let us be clear: None of these tickets are cheap. But, because a handful of the least-attractive tickets were a bit overpriced, the cheapest ticket for Game 1 now is a tad cheaper.