Absurd Open-Market Forces in the US: Ohtani Effect Leads to Soaring Dodgers Ticket Prices and Empty Ballpark Seats

One thing that bewilders me in the U.S. is the power of the “free market.”

For instance, when purchasing an airline ticket, prices fluctuate drastically because of supply and demand. For one business trip, I had to buy another ticket because my flight was canceled, and the price had jumped to five times the original rate, so I reluctantly changed my plans to a trip by train. Because there was no fault on my part as a customer, I felt, “This is absurd.”

Even in professional sports, tickets for popular teams have become expensive. In the case of the Dodgers, a Major League Baseball team, since Shohei Ohtani and other players joined the team, it was reported that prices on major ticket sales websites had just about doubled since the previous season.

A few days ago, I attended a game between the local team and the Dodgers in Washington, D.C., and sure enough, the ticket prices were considerably higher than the base price. The empty seats in the stadium were conspicuous. At that time, I thought, “Such a misplacement of priorities.”

Right now, this is an era where all kinds of tickets are purchased online. According to U.S. media, it appears that the optimal price for the seller is calculated by algorithms based on supply and demand data.

Reasonable prices will please more customers. Free market forces do not necessarily meet modest expectations on the customers’ side. Again and again, I shake my head in bewilderment and say “This is absurd!”