The New Olympic Sport: Just Getting a Ticket

There’s an excitement in Los Angeles about the 2028 Summer Olympics and a new sport coming to LA--

And no—it’s not swimming, gymnastics, or track & field. It’s getting tickets, affording them, and making it to your seat on time.

Because while the 2028 Summer Olympics promises 36 sports across 40 iconic venues—and billions invested in infrastructure…

Fans are preparing for something entirely different: A multi-step obstacle course of access, pricing, and logistics. And it all starts with one simple idea:

“Let’s get tickets”!

From the beginning, the LA 28 committee promoted the affordability of the upcoming tickets with thousands of $28-$400 tickets. Once available, it was clear that these lower priced tickets were for early heats and obscure events.  Upon more careful inspection, that $28 ticket turned into $5000 for opening, $4000 for closing & $2000 for key medal ceremonies—all higher than the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics!

Welcome to the LA 2028 pre-game:

STEP 1: The Lottery System: Register, wait and hope your name gets pulled   You’re not buying tickets… You’re entering a high-stakes raffle with better branding.

STEP 2: Ticket Price Shock: You get access!  You see prices.  This is the moment where expectation meets reality pricing strategy and “wham its time to call your financial advisor.  

STEP 3: No Early / Volume Discounts This one’s sneaky—but important.  In most industries: Buy early & Save money.  Buy more & get a deal.  NOT HERE: Same price whether you: Buy 1 ticket, buy 10 tickets, buy early or buy later.  

STEP 4: Living in LA (The “Home Field Advantage” … Maybe) You’d think locals would have the edge, right?  Well…You’re close, you know the traffic, you know how bad it can get.

 So instead of excitement, you’re doing: Route planning, time buffering & emotional preparation.  Because in LA…Getting to the event is the event

 STEP 5: The Streaming Reality: Here’s the kicker--There’s no blackout. You can watch from home: In HD, with zero traffic, and snacks that don’t cost $25. 

So now the question becomes: Why go at all?

The Olympic Business Model: The Olympics aren’t just a sporting event…They’re a multi-billion-dollar business model 

• For the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics--although media rights and sponsorship were important, the pricing for tickets was the core revenue driver.  To ensure that, ticket prices were affordable and accessible. 

• 2024 Paris Summer Olympics—during this Olympics, media rights, sponsorship and ticket sales combined became primary revenue drivers leading to expensive but accessible ticket prices.

• 2028 LA Summer Olympics—media rights and sponsorships slightly outweigh ticket sales as primary revenue drivers—BUT that doesn’t mean tickets are inexpensive. In fact, pricing reflects a deliberate premium strategy.  LA28 isn’t just selling tickets, it’s selling access. 

This Isn’t New, It’s the New Sports Economy: If this feels familiar, it should. Because this is exactly what’s happening across sports in 2026:

NFL: Limited supply ensuring a premium ticket price (Base=$200–$350, Premium $3000+) 

LA Dodgers/MLB Seats: Keep entry ticket prices accessible (Base=$50-$400, Premium=$2500)

NBA: Price between NFL and MLB (Base=$150-$250, Premium $2000+)

MLS: Prices shift dynamically based on demand, stars & event (Base= $90-$150, Premium $1500+)

Across every league, the same pattern emerges:

Access is no longer the product. The experience is. LA28 didn’t invent this model. It’s applying it—at scale with a limited number of premium seats, high demand for once-in-a-lifetime moments and pricing that reflects exclusivity—not accessibility.

The Hidden Olympic Cost: Getting There:

You’d think locals would have the edge, right?  Well…You’re close, you know the traffic, you also know how bad it can get. So instead of excitement, you’re doing: Route planning.   For LA 28 you’re not buying a $200 ticket, you’re buying a $500–$1,000 premium experience.

Final Verdict: Gold, Silver or Bronze?

The Real Business Lesson: The Olympics have evolved from: Selling access to selling premium experiences.  For LA 28, we’ve moved beyond the old paradigm where customers ask: “Is this worth the price?” to “Is this whole experience worth it?” 

At Biz Made EZ, this is the exact lesson we bring to clients: Customers don’t evaluate your product…They evaluate your entire buying experience. If your process feels like: A lottery, A pricing surprise, A friction-filled journey and drop-offs before purchase --you may not need better marketing…but a better buying experience strategy.   

For LA 28 getting tickets, affording them, and arriving on time…Might be the real Olympic sport.  

Contact Biz Made EZ today to create a gold winning buying experience.