NEW YORK (Reuters) – If you can’t get a ticket to watch a live air hockey game between the U.S. and Australia on NBCSN in New York, you can buy a ticket online for about $60 and take it to a New Jersey bar or a nearby club, an industry analyst said.
Tickets for the game between New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks are available online for $30, but prices vary based on which venue you visit, said Josh Blevins, director of global research at Blevin Research Group.
“It’s a great way to get a lot of value from an extremely inexpensive ticket,” he said.
Air Canada says it has sold 2,200 of its new, smaller ticket packages that cost $60 to $80 online for people who want to get in line for air travel.
But that has prompted some airlines to raise prices.
The average price for a two-person plane ticket at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday was $130.
The cheapest available seat was $70, according to the airline’s website.
Blevins said online ticket buyers have “really found their way into the game” and are increasingly interested in the ticket-buying process.
He said he expects the NHL’s popularity to continue to grow, as the NHL and its players embrace the online ticketing process.
“I think the NHL will continue to expand the product, but they’re not going to take it away from fans,” he added.
“This will be one of the biggest trends for us in the next 10 years.”
The NHL is looking at ways to encourage fans to buy online, including giving away free tickets to NHL games, Blevis said.
“We’re looking at the possibility of giving away tickets for some of our games,” he told reporters.
“A lot of people are taking advantage of this.
They’re buying tickets for a couple of games.”
The number of people looking to buy tickets online has increased in the past year, he said, and “people are looking for the opportunity to get into the market.”
“It will continue, because you’re going to see a huge increase in interest,” he predicted.