Euro 2028 will not use dynamic ticket pricing organizers say

LONDON (AP) — Dynamic ticket pricing will not be used for the 2028 European Championship, organizers say.

The controversial ticketing strategy — where prices depend on demand — was in operation at the Club World Cup in the United States this year and fluctuated wildly. Dynamic pricing will also be deployed at the men’s World Cup next year with tickets ranging from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final.

But organizers of the next Euros in the United Kingdom and Ireland say the tournament will not follow FIFA’s example.

“There won’t be any dynamic ticket pricing. I think that’s really well established,” English Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said. “I think there are a couple of basic principles. One is not dynamic ticket pricing, and the other one is there will be approximately half of the tickets in Category Three and also the Fan First category, which is the category below that.”

Category Three at last year’s Euros cost 60 euros ($70) and Fan First tickets were 30 euros ($35).

The variable pricing strategy at the Club World Cup saw a standard ticket for the semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense in New Jersey drop from $473.90 to $13.40.

In the U.K., fans were critical when dynamic pricing was used for rock band Oasis’ sold-out tour.

FA chair Debbie Hewitt said tickets for the Euros must be affordable.

“We would all make it clear that actually the revenues from this tournament are crucial because they get redistributed to football,” she said. “So there’s no point in us saying, ‘It’s free, everybody come along,’ because we’re not going to do the right thing then by the game. But it’s equally right that we give thought and we’re creative as to how we make sure that as many as possible can access at an affordable price.”

Bullingham also said they were considering subsidising travel costs for ticket-holders.

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