Football season is almost upon us. Training camps are preparing to open their doors, players are gearing up for the season, and Brett Favre is throwing passes to high-school kids while cursing Lebron for stealing his thunder with “the decision” of the summer. With all this going on, We here at SeatGeek decided to take a look at all 32 NFL teams and rank them based on past performance and fan support, as determined by secondary market ticket prices.

Fan support is of paramount importance to NFL franchises. A rabid crowd can act like a 12th man, flustering opponents and spurring their team to victory. With that in mind we decided to gauge fan support for all 32 NFL teams in the best way possible, by analyzing 2010 secondary market ticket sales. Secondary market ticket prices reflect how fans feel about their squad, through how much hard earned money they are willing to throw down to watch their team play. Logically, higher prices would correspond to higher expectations, and vice-versa. Fans who purchase tickets to their favorite team’s games on the secondary market would be expected to pay more to see a higher quality product on the field, and less for a lower quality team. Therefore, utilizing a complex formula, devised by our resident sports geeks, that takes into account average 2010 ticket prices, and 2009 performance on the field, named the SeatGeek Rating Scale, (S.R.S) we predicted the relative success of each of the 32 NFL teams for this upcoming season. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will break down, division by division, every team in the NFL culminating with our playoff and Super Bowl predictions.

AFC East

The AFC East was one of the most confusing divisions in football last year, with experts quibbling over what to expect all summer long. The Dolphins had come out of nowhere to win the division the previous season, the Patriots were still the Patriots, the Jets were taking the field with rookies at quarterback and head coach, and the Bills had made a big splash by signing Terrell Owens. However, as the season progressed it became clear that the division was going to be decided between the Pats and the Jets. The Patriots narrowly beat out Gang Green for the division crown, but the Jets sneaked into the playoffs at 9-7 as a wild card, and promptly stomped over the Bengals and Chargers to advance to the AFC championship game where they fell to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Because we love ticket data so much here at SeatGeek, we decided to take this opportunity to delve a little deeper into the NFL’s most recent season, and also take a look forward to the upcoming season of NFL football.

The above graph compares all four AFC East teams across three categories: how many games they won in 2009, what their average transacted ticket price for 2010 tickets is so far, and their adjusted score on the super scientific SeatGeek Rating Scale. (SRS) As you can tell, in this division there is a clear correlation between 2009 wins, and how much fans are willing to pay for 2010 single game tickets.

Buffalo Bills

In 2008, the Buffalo Bills won 7 games, the following season fans paid an average of $54.69 per ticket, the lowest in the division. However, so far in 2010, Buffalo fans are willing to spend $78.52 on tickets to see their beloved Bills play, despite the fact that the Bills lost more games last year than they did the previous season. However, before jumping to the conclusion that Bills fans’ ticket purchases are unrelated to team performance, keep in mind that our 2010 data, despite encompassing thousands of transactions, by definition only includes transactions from April, when transactions for this upcoming season began, through July. As the season draws nearer, and then during the course of the games, prices could fluctuate significantly.

In order to gain a better understanding of how NFL ticket prices fluctuate over the course of a year, we broke down this data even further.

We plotted average price for the week preceding each game of the 2009 season, against the cumulative winning percentage of the team for that season up to that point. For example, Bills tickets traded at an average price of $72.20 leading into Week 3 of the season, following a Bills win that put them at 1-1 for the year; a .500 winning percentage that the Bills would never again achieve for the remainder of the season. Tickets for the final week of the season traded for an exceedingly low price of $17.69. This is probably due to a combination of factors: The Bills were already eliminated from playoff contention; their opponent was the Indianapolis Colts, who had announced they would be resting many starters in preparation for the playoffs; and to top it all off, the game time weather at Ralph Wilson Stadium was a balmy 12°F and snowing.

Due to the Bills’ relatively lackluster performance on the field, as well as in the ticket market, they received an S.R.S score of 19.02, good enough for fourth place in the division, and 29th in the entire league.

Verdict:

Sorry Bills fans, but it takes more than getting rid of Terrell Owens to improve your team. The Bills pool of talent is still the worst in the division by far. It’s going to be another long, cold winter in Buffalo.

Miami Dolphins

The 2008 Miami Dolphins came out of nowhere to go 11-5 and win the AFC East for the first time since the year 2000. In 2009 however, the team lost starting quarterback Chad Pennington early in the season, and had to move forward with the untested youngster Chad Henne. The Dolphins under Henne played well the majority of the year, but lost their final three games to finish 7-9 and out of the playoffs. Now let’s take a look at the data.

As opposed to Buffalo, over the course of the 2009 season season Dolphins prices rose from an average of $77.88 in September, to $85.63 in October, $92.24 in November, and $95.13 in December. This difference can possibly be attributed to the fact that as the season progressed the Bills dropped further and further from contention, while the Dolphins, although eventually falling short, were deeply immersed in a playoff race.

Verdict:

Uncertainty on both sides of the ball, along with a below .500 winning percentage and relatively lackluster 2010 ticket sales combine to give the Dolphins an S.R.S score of 29.65. That places them in 3rd in the AFC East, well behind the Jets and Pats, and 23rd in the league. Better luck next year Dolphins fans, because with that score, the ‘fins won’t even be sniffing the playoffs in 2010.

New York Jets

The Rex Ryan era began with a bang last season, as the Jets advanced to the AFC championship game for the first time since the Vinny Testaverde led team of 1998. With the number one ranked defense, and rushing offense in the NFL in 2009, the Jets won using the old strategy of running well, and stopping the run well. This year the Jets faithful have even higher hopes for their team; a result of multiple high profile acquisitions such as cornerback Antonio Cromartie, former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, and 5 time Pro Bowler and former league MVP Ladanian Tomlinson.

There are some interesting trends in the week by week breakdown of the Jets’ 2009 campaign. For example, prices spiked in the week preceding the Jets’ week 4 match-up with the Saints, following the Jets’ impressive 3-0 start. Then, over the course of the next two weeks, prices dropped following consecutive Jets’ losses. It is also interesting to see the increase in ticket prices during the final two weeks of the season, as the Jets fought for a playoff spot. In fact, there is a relatively significant positive correlation between the Jets’ winning percentage during a week, and the average transacted ticket price from that week. In fact, the correlation coefficient of the Jets’ weekly average price compared to their cumulative winning percentage up to that point, was 0.68, on a scale of -1.0, denoting a perfect negative correlation, to 1.0, denoting a perfect positive correlation, with 0 meaning no correlation at all. In contrast, the correlation coefficients of the three other teams in the division were -0.21 for the Bills, 0.36 for the Dolphins, and -0.03 for the Patriots. This higher score seems to indicate that Jets fans were much more influenced by team performance in their ticket purchasing habits than fans of other teams in their division.

Verdict:

In the case of the Jets, tickets sold for the 2010 season are significantly higher than those sold for last season, excluding January tickets sold to playoff games. Clearly this is a reflection of the higher expectations of the fans, and this translates into a healthy S.R.S score of 66.18, slotting them in at 2nd in the division, and 10th in the league, good enough to snag the #5 seed in the AFC playoffs. So enjoy it Jets fans, because them being the Jets, and therefore prone to every misfortune, mismanagement, and miscue possible, success will not last long.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have consistently been one of the best teams in the NFL for almost a decade now. The Brady-Belichick dynasty has produced 3 Super Bowls championships, and division titles in 7 of the last 9 years. After winning 11 games in 2008, but failing to win the division due to the resurgent Dolphins, the Pats returned to their familiar place atop the AFC East last season. Despite an aging core of veterans, this year should be no different for the perennial Super Bowl contenders.

The Patriots had by far the highest average ticket price throughout the 2009 season of any team in their division. In fact, the lowest weekly average price for the Pats last year was $107.24, a figure that the Bills and Jets didn’t reach even during their most expensive weeks. Their season average price of $144.09 was almost twice the Jets’ average of $79.73, and almost three times the Bills average price of $54.69! Clearly Pats fans pay a premium to see their team play. However, the price does not seem to fluctuate in any particular pattern relative to the more micro-fluctuations in team performance, with a correlation coefficient of only -0.03, basically rounding to 0, meaning there was absolutely no relationship between winning percentage and weekly average price during the Patriots 2009 season.

Verdict:

Due to their stellar performance on the field, and their rabid fan-base’s willingness to pay a premium for tickets, they Patriots have amassed an S.R.S score of 87.48, tops in the division, and fourth best in the entire league. Congratulations Patriots fans, once again you’ll be rooting for your team at snowy Gillette Stadium in January.

Conclusion

The AFC East is one of the most exciting divisions in football, and also one of the best values, with an overall average ticket price of $145.55 so far in 2010, the third cheapest division in football.

After taking all the stats into consideration, our fearless predictions are:

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills

Stay tuned to SeatGeek for more of the latest NFL trends, and for the rest of our NFL previews.

For more information, or if you have any questions, feel free to email me at jonathan@seatgeek.com and don’t forget to like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter @SeatGeek and @SeatGeekNFL

Green Day vs. American Idiot

There’s something magical about a rock concert. As an audience member you never know what’s going to happen. Heck, even the band probably doesn’t know what’s going to happen half the time. From the time that band steps onto the stage, until the moment they take their final bows, anything is possible. This limitless potential is part of what makes rock concerts so enthralling. At any given concert the crowd’s excitement is almost palpable as it anxiously waits to see what remarkable performance is in store for them on that particular night. The anticipation of the unknown is what whips crowds into a frenzy, and for good reason. Most of the greatest moments in live music history have been spontaneous explosions of musical tenacity, like Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire at the Montery Pop Festival, or Bob Dylan “going electric” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Similar to sports tickets, whenever someone purchases a ticket to a live concert, he or she is purchasing a chance to witness history.

Broadway musicals on the other hand, offer a different type of experience. They can be equally, if not more entertaining than a concert, depending on the tastes of the ticket buyer. Involving a plot, and actors, rather than just a band, musicals are usually more intricate productions than straight up concerts. Traditionally, musicals have utilized show-tunes, melody and harmony driven musical numbers that are known more for memorable melodies than energizing instrumentation. However, in recent years more and more musicals have transitioned into using rock music, with electric guitars and pounding drums, rather than orchestras with piccolos and trombones. Beginning with Hair, and continuing with shows such as Rent, these rock musicals have promoted their high-octane shows, attempting to cater to a younger audience. However, having actors headbanging and playing guitar on stage does not necessarily make these musicals a more electrifying experience than a real rock-n’-roll concert. In order to shed a little more light on the concert vs. musical debate, we here at SeatGeek decided to focus in on Green Day’s new Broadway Musical American Idiot, and compare ticket prices for the show, to prices of Green Day concerts over the past 2 years.

*Green Day concert ticket data is blue, American Idiot Ticket data is gray.

The data paints an interesting picture for us. One thing that is evident from these statistics is that American Idiot is not a flop. In fact tickets to the Tony-nominated musical are transacting at a higher average price ($140) than tickets to a live Green Day concert in 2010, ($127.31) and the show has already grossed over $11.5 million since its debut on April 20th. American Idiot is also outselling other top shows such as The Lion King and Billy Elliot on the secondary market.

Before we anoint American Idiot, “bigger than the band” however, we must first take a look at any other variables that could contribute to these results. The comparative ticket data may be slightly misleading due to the discrepancy in ticket supply. The St. James Theatre, in which American Idiot plays, has a capacity of only 1623 patrons, whereas Green Day’s tours have taken them through arenas with capacities over ten times the St. James’. As tickets for American Idiot are more scarce, the prices are correspondingly higher.

Changes in Green Day Tickets

While analyzing the data, we were also struck by interesting trends in Green Day concert tickets themselves. When looking at ticket purchases year over year, we noticed a significant increase in transacted ticket prices; prices jumped from an average of $62.41 in 2009 to over $127 in 2010, an increase of almost 104%! This increase is even more remarkable considering that Green Day’s 2009 summer tour was in support of a brand new album, 21st Century Breakdown, released on May 15th 2009, the long-awaited follow up to 2004’s Grammy winning American Idiot. Nevertheless, prices for concerts over a year later are more than twice what they were for the 21st Century Breakdown tour.

Green Day tickets have also increased relative to other high grossing tours of the past two years. As seen in the graph below, in 2009 tickets for Green Day were significantly cheaper than other big name acts, despite their new album.

Conversely in 2010, although still not comparable to the absolute highest grossing concerts of the year, Green Day concerts are clearly in the upper echelon of secondary market ticket prices.

We then decided to compare Green Day’s year by year prices to other bands. Out of five bands that toured in both 2009 and 2010, surprisingly all five of their average transacted ticket prices increased from 2009 to 2010. However, Green Day’s ticket prices increased year over year far more than any of the other artists.

Conclusion: It’s Good For the Show & Good for the Band

While it is unwise to assume causation from correlation, it appears that the successful production of American Idiot on the stage, has reinvigorated Green Day fans, and driven up demand for their concerts. There are very few alternate variables that could have affected ticket prices this dramatically. During the time between their 2009 and 2010 tours, they have released no new albums, won no new musical awards, and have been generally un-newsworthy in every way, except for the press surrounding American Idiot the musical. It appears that far from hurting Green Day’s punk image, or drawing fans away from the band’s performances themselves, the theatrical appearance of American Idiot has thrived, and helped Green Day enter the new decade as popular as ever.

For a comparison of the two experiences, here are three videos of American Idiot (the song): an excerpt from the Broadway presentation, the original music video, and a video of Green Day performing the song live in concert. Enjoy.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at jonathan@seatgeek.com, like us on facebook at facebook.com/seatgeek and follow us on twitter @SeatGeek & @SeatGeekMusic

Ahhh, the fourth of July, a time for food, friends and fireworks; the day off work that every American has been anxiously awaiting since Memorial day. It’s a day for us to release our most American instincts and behaviors. Stuffing our faces with barbecued meat, watching others stuff their faces with even more barbecued meat, blowing stuff up in our backyards, then lounging around exhausted from all the face-stuffing and stuff-exploding, are all nationwide traditions on this most celebratory of days. However, these aren’t the only possible forms of entertainment on Independence day. Many Americans enjoy taking a trip to the beach, to the ballpark, or to the local concert venue to catch one of their favorite artists live. There’s nothing more American than sitting on your butt and watching professionals entertain you, whether it be through complex song and dance routines, or superhuman feats of athleticism. With that in mind, we here at SeatGeek decided to take a look at the top selling concerts of this 4th of July.

To absolutely no one’s surprise Lady Gaga takes the top slot yet again, in terms of average transacted ticket prices. As we discovered last month, her “Monster Ball” tour is the most in-demand concert series of the summer, with average transaction prices now over $175. We were curious to know whether prices for her show in Atlantic City on Sunday were influenced by it being on July 4th, so we took a look at the top rated concerts of her tour, and this past Sunday’s concert, while still selling at prices above Gaga’s average, was not even in the top ten Lady Gaga concerts of the tour, ranking 12th out of 34 solo shows between 5/30/10 and 8/31/10.

Clearly, although it probably didn’t hurt sales, ticket prices for Gaga’s show at Boardwalk Hall were not radically affected by its concurrence with a national holiday. Let us now take a look at the other four superstars who topped our 4th of July concert list.

Second to Lady Gaga is Canadian crooner Michael Buble, with average ticket prices of $146.85. That’s right, over 9,500 red blooded American paid close to $150 on average to watch a Canadian perform on our Independence day! Now I not one to tell others how to spend their money, but really patrons of Mohegan Sun? You went to see Michael Buble? I can only hope that he sang this, since it’s as close to American patriotism as will ever emerge from out of his maple syrup encrusted mouth-hole. Connecticut, you better watch your step, or else I’ll be petitioning for your removal from the Union faster than you can say “Eh.”

In any event, tickets for Buble’s July 4th Canadapalooza, were trading at almost exactly the same price as the average for his concerts this summer: Sunday’s average was $146.85, and the overall average is $146.80. This stat alone seems to suggest that the 4th of July had no effect on Buble ticket sales. However, it is interesting to note that Buble performed at the Mohegan Sun arena on July 2nd & 3rd in addition to his show there on the 4th. Tickets for those two shows, a Friday and a Saturday, also popular days ticket sales wise, traded on average for $139.89, and $135.93 respectively, both less than the fourth’s $146.85.

Number 3 on the July 4th rundown is Phish. Always a top draw amongst jam band audiences, Phish is well-known for its legendary holiday concerts, rocking many a New Year’s Eve and Halloween. This 4th of July was no exception. Kicking off their Alpharetta GA concert with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, (take note Buble) Phish proceeded to rock the red, white, and blue socks off their audience with highlights including a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.” Unlike Lady Gaga and Michael Buble’s concerts, there is a significant jump in ticket prices for Phish’s Phestival on the Phourth. Tickets for this concert sold for $131.89 on average, significantly higher than their tour average of $84.22, and much higher than their preceding show at the very same venue which traded for $110.00 on average. In fact, Phish’s July 4th concert is their most expensive show this summer besides their 3 shows at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Many Phans have a tradition of spending holidays with Phish, and perhaps this ritual can account for the discrepancy in prices.

Clocking in at number 4 on our countdown is the indomitable Dave Matthews Band. Dave and his buddies have been a summer tour staple for what seems like forever. However they recently announced that they will be breaking tradition and not touring in the summer of 2011. Additionally it has been made public that their 2010 tour will be concluding on the hallowed ground of Wrigley Field on the north side of Chicago, with Jason Mraz opening. (Tickets for the show go on sale July 17th, be sure to check SeatGeek for the best and cheapest tickets for what is sure to be a sold out event.)

In terms of Dave’s July 4th concert at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin, prices were lackluster at best. Out of the 41 concerts DMB is playing between May 28th and August 31st, (excluding large festivals such as Bonnaroo) the 4th of July show ranked a measly 26th in terms of ticket prices, trading at $122.34 on average. When compared to Dave’s tour average of $142.85, and the previous day’s average of $137.56 at the same venue, it is clear that the fourth of July did not have a positive influence on ticket sales in this circumstance.

Rounding out the top 5 is Carrie Underwood, who is out touring the world, now through the end of the year.  Her July 4th concert in Milwaukee Wisconsin drew an average transacted price of $84.36, good enough for the top 5 concerts of the day, but well below her tour average of $104.89. In fact, out of the 100 shows she is performing in the U.S. and Canada this year, her July 4th performance ranks close to the bottom third in average ticket price, placing 66th. Carrie’s next appearance will be on the Today Show on July 30th. Her next full show will take place on August 29th at Ravinia Pavilion in Highland Park Illinois.

As we further analyze this data we can come to the reasonable conclusion that despite its celebratory and relaxing atmosphere, as well as the three day weekend in the middle of which it resided, this national holiday does not appear to have radically affected concert ticket prices.

So the next time a national holiday rolls around, (Labor day I’m looking at you) instead of lounging around the yard, or heading down to the JC Penny for their 300th 50% off sale of the year, why not head out to the local amphitheater and celebrate the end of summer by catching a concert? A great time is sure to be had by all, and best of all, prices shouldn’t be that different than normal.

For all your ticket needs, for a holiday, or any other day, be sure to check out SeatGeek and for more updates, news, and analysis be sure to follow us on twitter @SeatGeek & @SeatGeekMusic, like us on facebook at facebook.com/SeatGeek and feel free to email me at jonathan@seatgeek.com with any questions or comments.

There are two NFL teams located in the New York metropolitan area, The New York Jets, and the New York Giants. Both play in New Jersey. Both are moving into a state-of-the-art brand new stadium this season. Both have high profile quarterbacks. One of them had the league’s top rated defense last season, giving up a measly 14.8 points per game. The other was third worst, giving up almost 27 ppg. One team led the league in rushing yards with over 170 yards per game, the other was ranked 17th in rushing. One team made it to their conference championship game last season, the other didn’t even make the playoffs. Since the end of last season, one team has acquired a super bowl MVP, a 5 time pro-bowl running back, and a pro-bowl cornerback among others. The other team’s highest profile acquisition this off-season was a shipment of Subway sandwiches courtesy of Michael Strahan. So which of these two teams would you expect to have higher expectations for the 2010 season, and therefore higher ticket prices?

If you thought the Jets, you were dead wrong. Despite one of their best seasons in team history, despite a roster full of exciting young stars, despite a brash and outspoken coach who is unafraid to speak his mind, New York Jets’ ticket sales still trail those of their cross town rivals, the Giants, by a large margin.

The Jets organization’s ticketing woes have been well publicized over the past few months, with many stories written about the possibility of local television blackouts of Jets games until all PSLs (Personal Seat Licenses) were sold. Just within the past week the AP reported that the Jets are reducing prices for 18,000 PSLs. With all this uncertainty in the primary ticket market, we decided to take a closer look at how 2010 Jets and Giants tickets are selling on the secondary market. Average 2010 Giants tickets cost $243.29, the highest average price in the league. Jets tickets meanwhile are trading at $205.63, the sixth highest price in the NFL. Taking a closer look, we found that on average, Giants fans are willing to throw down $30.41 per 2009 victory for each 2010 game, while Jets ticket buyers were only willing to spend $18.69 per 2009 victory (including playoffs.)

There are obviously multiple factors that contribute to these prices being what they are. For example, both Jets and Giants’ ticket prices have been boosted thanks to the debut of their new stadium. However, The Jets superior play on the field, has not manifested itself in greater demand for tickets off the field.

This Giants dominance in the NY football ticket market is surprising due to the fickle nature of most sports fans, willing to jump onto the bandwagon of whichever team happens to be playing the best at any particular moment. However, it appears, as evidenced by the Giants’ superior ticket prices, and the Jets’ continuing PSL debacle, that there’s more to ticket sales than last year’s won/loss record. The Giants organization, due to its long history and solid management has been able to build and maintain a fanbase that continues to shell out big bucks to see their Giants play, no matter the quality of the players on the field.

For all sold out tickets and great ticket deals be sure to check out SeatGeek.com, and for more NFL analysis follow us on twitter @SeatGeekNFL or email me at jonathan@seatgeek.com

The World Cup is all the rage right now – it is an epic event magnified by its global fanaticism and 4 year interval period. There is some some great world cup coverage surfacing as the event unfolds. Anticipation has been fueled by a very captivating Nike ad campaign:

At SeatGeek we are also excited, so we spent some time getting to understand the World Cup ticket market. We have provided a detailed overview below. At SeatGeek we provide easy access to sold out tickets, but the World Cup market functions very differently with some nuances summarized in the next section (see South Africa Sells Out World Cup Tickets – note 90,000 tickets have subsequently been added to the market on May 27).

World Cup Ticket Summary:

Below we have a quick summary of the world cup ticket market and the 5 phases of ticket sales.

• 5 phases of ticket sales
• no ability to apply for tickets between phases
• Phase 1 began Feb 20 2009
• Phase 5 terminates on July 11 2010 (the last day of the World Cup)
• First 4 phases, from 2/20/09 – 4/7/10
• Ticket applications for tickets that are oversubscribed are processed in 1 of 2 ways

1. Random lottery
2. First come first serve

5 Ticket Phases

Phase 1 - December 20, 2009 through March 31, 2009

• During this phase allocation of oversubscribed tickets was determined by a random drawing on April 15, 2009
• Each correctly submitted application had an equal opportunity of receiving tickets

Phase 2 –  May 4, 2009 through November 11, 2009

• Applications received during this stage were processed on a first-come-first-served basis

Phase 3 – December 5, 2009 through January 22, 2010

• Same process as phase 1
• The drawing took place on February 1, 2010

Phase 4 – February 9, 2010 through May 7, 2010

• Same as phase 2

Phase 5 – April 15, 2010 through July 11, 2010

• Last minute ticket sales
• Ticket applications processed first come first served – however transaction of tickets are conducted immediately at point of sale

FIFA/World Cup Market Overview

All sales have come through fifa.com, the official FIFA call center, or officially registered distributors. Counterfeit ticket sales have been a significant worry to cup organizers and they have worked with various law-enforcement agencies to crack down on fake or unauthorized ticket sales. Cup organizers have also chosen not to print tickets to matches until weeks before the event in order to prevent forgeries. According to FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke: “Our work with New Scotland Yard is yet another example that we are taking serious steps to stop unauthorized entities from selling 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets…”

Leading up to the World Cup, the vast majority of tickets had already been sold. As of Friday 5/28/10 approximately 96% of the 2.88 million available tickets had been purchased, leaving about 160,000 tickets still available to the general public; this coming after cup organizers released an additional 90,000 tickets, across all 64 matches. Certain matches have more available tickets than others.

With thousands of ticket applicants left disappointed during the first 4 phases of ticket sales, and with their opportunities to legitimately acquire tickets dwindling, naturally there is a large number of people attempting to take advantage of this gap in the supply and demand curves.  Unauthorized dealers have popped up all over the globe, attempting to lure unsuspecting fans into purchasing false or unauthorized tickets, often through ticket inclusive travel packages. The reselling or transfer of purchased World Cup tickets is in violation of both the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ General Terms and Conditions for the Use of Tickets.

There are only two ways to legally and legitimately transfer tickets; either a “Guest Ticket Transfer,” or a “Ticket Resale.” Guest ticket transfers consist of the transfer from one individual to another. The ticket recipient involved in this transaction must have a “pre-existing relationship with the Ticket Applicant,” including “relatives, close friends, colleagues and/or the companions of individuals in wheelchairs or other disabilities.” A “Ticket Resale” is the legitimate sale of tickets by a guest who can no longer attend the match, through an authorized, FIFA regulated platform. These tickets are resold at face value, with an additional 10% administrative fee leveled on the ticket seller.

Ticket holders also have the opportunity to donate unusable tickets to the “Ticket Fund,” which allocates extra tickets to a variety of “worthy social and development initiatives within South Africa.”

Despite these restrictions certain websites on the secondary ticket market continue to offer world cup tickets. A search on stubhub.com revealed no results, however tickets for many matches were available on sites such as razorgator.com and ticketcity.com for substantially inflated prices. On Razorgator, as of June 11, a category 1 seat for the U.S.’s second match, against Slovenia was listed at $250, compared to its face value of $160, an increase of 56%. A category one ticket to the final match was listed at $2,269.00, an increase of 152% over its already hefty list price of $900. Because of the stringent regulations regarding distribution of tickets, razorgator is unable to send the buyer their tickets as they would for any other event. Razorgator therefore has detailed on their site, specifically how the ticket transfer will take place, stating: “Razorgator will send a team of ticket/event specialists to South Africa to offer local delivery of tickets at a number of our courtesy pickup locations. Once your order is placed and confirmed and the tickets are ready for pickup, the courtesy pickup office and hours will be emailed to the address you provided with your order.”

Closing World Cup Ticket Thoughts

Clearly, although difficult, purchasing world cup tickets on the secondary ticket market is still possible. However there are many downsides, such as inflated prices, the ever-present prospect of counterfeits, and the possibility that, if discovered, secondary market ticketholders will be denied entry to the stadium on the day of the match.

Note: there are 3 categories of tickets corresponding to various quality seats, category 1 being the best, and 3 the worst.

Comment below if you have thoughts or join the discussion with us on Twitter.

Part IV of our ‘Buying Sports and Concert Tickets: The Expert Series‘

So you procrastinated on buying tickets and now they are sold out. Ugh. Well don’t panic too much because there are a few simple ways to find sold out tickets online using ticket search engines (if you clicked that link you might be wondering where are we on that list…we were just about to launch SeatGeek!).

Primary Market – Why are you always sold out?

When tickets go on sale in the primary market they are sold at face value and are often quickly scooped up by diligent fans, ticket brokers, corporations, and other organizations (not to mention season tickets – though that is a discussion for another time). Legions of fans, looking to secure their spots, wait in lines (real or digital) to be the first to access these tickets when they hit the market. Many are afraid of what will happen if they sell out: 1) Where will I be able to find tickets? 2) What will happen to prices?

Fortunately we can help you with both those questions…

Insert: The Secondary Ticket Market and SeatGeek

When tickets sell out on the primary market, that is when the real fun begins. Resale tickets have grown immensely in popularity as the secondary market has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry with sites like StubHub leading the charge. It is this active secondary market that offers you the opportunity to find and buy sold out tickets because there are many options to choose from. The same breadth, scope, and activity that makes the secondary market a great source for finding tickets, also can make the search process a little difficult.

However, at SeatGeek we built the tools to help you sort through through the depths of the market. We offer aggregation from the the major secondary ticket sites for side-by-side price comparison, as well as a ticket price forecasts. Why forecasts? Unlike the primary market, resale ticket prices fluctuate, but you can use our ticket prices forecasts to make sense of these fluctuations and buy sold out tickets with assurance that you are not overpaying and that your are purchasing at the right time.

As our co-founder Jack discussed in SmartMoney, roughly 80% of tickets sold on the secondary market are professional ticket brokers, but at the same time about 40% of resale tickets are at or below face value. There is a lot of opportunity to find the tickets you are looking for at the right price, you just have to do your homework…

Search and Understand the Different Ticket Markets

First, read the following resources:

• Guide to the Primary Ticket Market
• Guide to the Secondary Ticket Market
• Guide to Using Ticket Search Engines

Note, the secondary market offers access to an extensive inventory of tickets, so you can always find the events you want to attend if you know where to look. Using a ticket search engine provides a comprehensive look into all the sold out tickets that are availalbe, as well as a clear picture of the average asking price in the market (with more transparency than the primary market).

Now that you understand the basics of the market, we have provided a summary checklist you can follow next time you are looking for tickets.

Checklist for Buying Sold Out Tickets

1. Identify the event or game
2. Use a ticket search engine to find available tickets
3. Compare prices, deals, and inventory across major sites via the aggregation provided by ticket search sites
4. Compare the price of the tickets to their face value price
5. View price forecasts, if prices are going up, buy now – if prices are going down, set up an email alert to buy later
6. Buy when the price is right, and enjoy!