Toronto Maple Leafs raising ticket prices in attempt to ‘minimize the impact of brokers’

The parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs says it will be raising ticket prices to try to cut down on inflated ticket prices through reselling.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) spokesman Dave Haggith told Global News in a statement that prices will be going up next year between $7 and $16 depending on the seat location.

Currently the average ticket price is $80 in the upper bowl and $190 in the lower bowl. When looking at individual game prices, the cheapest ticket is $70 and the most expensive ticket is over $400.

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Haggith said one reason behind the decision is to crack down on the secondary market.

“MLSE uses a data science team to analyze ticket pricing and to minimize the impact of brokers in an attempt to generate more access to tickets for fans,” he wrote.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "MLSE uses a data science team to analyze ticket pricing and to minimize the impact of brokers in an attempt to generate more access to tickets for fans," he wrote.

Haggith also said changes were introduced this year for season ticket payments, including automatic ticket renewal and the ability to spread payments over the calendar year versus eight months.

When asked about the news, University of Toronto marketing professor David Soberman said generally sports teams need to be sensitive to ticket prices increases. But in Toronto, he said there’s an exception.

“People in this city are too committed to hockey and to the Leafs in general. It’s probably one of the greatest sports franchises in the world,” Soberman said.

With files from Tom Hayes