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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
So with the World Cup set to kick off just two weeks today, FIFA is now being investigated by the states of both New York and New Jersey over their ticket pricing. Many Irish bank accounts we know might be breathing a sigh of relief after our defeat against Chechya in March as FIFA introduced dynamic pricing for the tournament, leading some fans facing astronomical prices for tickets.
Let's get the latest now with John Bruin with The Guardian. Good morning, John.
Morning, Claire.
The ticket prices are outrageous in some cases, aren't they?
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Chapter 2: Why is FIFA being investigated over ticket pricing for the World Cup?
Oh, absolutely astronomical beyond the reach of just about anybody I know. I don't know people that can afford to pay thousands of dollars for a football ticket. And in England, that's reflected in quite a limited take up. And funny enough, I was watching the Thomas Tuchel interview when he picked his England squad up.
on Friday and one of the England fans that was in this room said that he'd spent his life savings on going over. So that's a measure of it, isn't it? This is going to cost people an enormous amount of money.
And are people going though still? I mean, what's the general chat amongst England fans around the World Cup?
Well, yeah, I work with a very committed England fan who's seen England all over the world since 1991 or so, and he's not going. He just said he couldn't pay it, he couldn't justify it, and...
Chapter 3: What is dynamic pricing and how has it affected ticket costs?
It sees no reason why most of those people that he knows of that core England support group will go because it's just beyond the pale. He would have been guaranteed a ticket for the final if they'd got there because of his long-standing membership of the England club, but he's not having it. He can't afford it.
It is interesting that this is such a topic at this stage. I mean, ticket prices have always been in the news, but it certainly feels like the coverage is a lot more intense this time. But things are different, aren't they, for this World Cup?
Yeah, it's dynamic pricing. Now, listen, a World Cup ticket was always reasonably expensive, a little bit more expensive than maybe a Premier League match, which, as we know, those prices have been climbing higher. But it appears to me, and just about everybody else, that FIFA have decided that this World Cup, because it's in the United States, they're going to use it as a cash cow.
They've taken advantage of that American system of dynamic pricing, which... Over here in Ireland, of course, you know, became quite famous during the when Oasis tickets went on sale. And they've just decided to rinse everyone in sight, haven't they? There's been a kickback about this. I'd say it's quite late.
It was pointed out by the athletic journalist Adam Crafton, who actually lives out in New York, that
maybe a bit late you could have these bodies could have attacked this a bit sooner the world cup kicks off in two weeks and yet uh here we are and most of those tickets will have been sold or be on the market or on this resale market essentially the argument for dynamic pricing is that those selling the ticket it doesn't go into the touting market
But what that actually operates as is that FIFA or whoever's selling tickets is operating as the tout themselves. And people are right to feel aggrieved at that.
Yeah, absolutely. And our listeners are getting in touch to say that. But, you know, we had in the last couple of weeks... hotels expecting huge bookings saying that they just hadn't seen that happen. And now are we looking at a situation where, John, we're going to have empty seats in the stadiums at matches where you would have expected them to be completely and utterly full?
Well, yes. Yeah, I think that that's possibly going to be the case. And, you know, for example, I mean, this isn't in the World Cup, but England are playing a friendly in Miami and the Joe Robbie Stadium. And it's expected to be 40,000 below capacity because, again, the tickets are too high. The demand isn't there. The travel is expensive. And, you know, this is taking place.
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Chapter 4: Are fans still willing to attend the World Cup despite high ticket prices?
John, thanks very much for your time and for joining us this morning. John Bruin there from The Guardian on ticket pricing at the World Cup. If you have a view, do get in touch on 087 1400 106. This listener says dynamic pricing was always a thing that would eventually rebalance itself. It's a happy coincidence. that that is happening in the World Cup in the United States.
So when Dynamic Pricing says this listener has done the damage and can't be undone with the World Cup, they decide to take it on.
It's like trying to catch a stallion running down the road while you're on a pedal bike.