College hoops fans looking to see the final four women’s teams compete in person in this year’s edition of the March Madness tournament may want to prepare for some sticker shock.
On SeatGeek, the cheapest tickets for the women’s Final Four games on April 5 were $674, compared to $611 for the men’s bracket. At Ticketmaster on Monday, the cheapest seats for the women’s and men’s Final Four games were $746 and $693, respectively.
Prices have soared amid growing demand for tickets in recent days, buoyed by sparkling on-field performances by Angel Reese of Louisiana State University and Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa, reports said. online ticket brokers. At some ticket resellers, the price of a place for a women’s tournament is now higher than for men’s matches.
Clark and Reese faced off for last year’s national championship, which LSU won, and the two face off again in a highly anticipated Elite Eight contest Monday night.
“We are seeing a seismic shift in the sports world, thanks to athletes like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and others who are captivating audiences with their talent and star power,” said Chris Leyden, chief marketing officer of growth of SeatGeek, at CBS MoneyWatch. “This shift is largely due to the powerful branding power these athletes wield, fueling unprecedented demand for this year’s March Madness tournament.”
Clark and Reese showcase their talents on the field, but they also “inspire a new era of fandom and engagement,” Leyden said.
Viewership for college basketball has increased in recent years, largely thanks to college-educated men watching games on online streaming services. About 22% of Internet-using Americans watch NCAA basketball, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan survey. The survey also found that 7% of respondents watch women’s college basketball, a number that increased to 9% this month.
Christopher J. Brooks
Grub5
