Paying the price : ticket purchasing at sports events

![CDATA[As discussed by Parry et al (2018), many Australian sports teams are struggling to convince a sedentary population to attend live events, a problem that is exasperated by the increasing amount of sport available on television and via the internet (Rowe 2018). The decision to attend a sporting event can be a complex one, with spectators weighing the required time commitment, the quality of the facilities (Hall, O’Mahoney & Vieceli 2010; Slavich, Dwyer & Rufer 2017) and the costs of purchasing a ticket (Scott 2005), transport, and food and beverages against the expected pleasure to be had at a match. The experience of attending a sports match begins before a spectator enters a venue (Parry 2012), yet many studies fail to consider important aspects of the spectator experience. The start of the experience is the decision to attend and it can continue even after the last ball has been kicked or thrown. Issues and frustrations at any stage of the experience will impact on the overall satisfaction of spectators. However, aside from discussions on the secondary ticket market (see Drayer 2011; Shapiro & Dreyer 2014; Stein 2014; Kemper & Breuer 2015), the first step in this process, the act of purchasing a ticket is not well understood and under researched. This paper aims to fill this gap in our understanding by identifying the factors that are associated with sport fans’ satisfaction with the ticket-purchase experience. A concurrent, mixed-methods approach was adopted using an online survey, distributed via social media. The survey contained 18 items, capturing demographic information, ticket purchasing preferences and experiences, and a Likert-scale item to assess satisfaction. The final section provided respondents with the chance to provide their thoughts of the most positive and most negative aspects of the ticket purchasing experience via two open-ended questions. 219 participants (males 75%; females 25% approximately), took part in the study. Results revealed that, aside from memberships, just over half of the fans predominately purchased tickets via ticketing companies, with a hefty 85% being able to complete their transaction at the first attempt. Findings reveal significant associations between geographical region and future purchase preferences, with NSW fans indicating their preference to use a ticketing company more than any other region. Meanwhile, the older age group (46 and above) are more likely to purchase tickets at the box office. Fans consider the ability to choose a seat and the ease of making online purchases to be positive aspects of the ticket purchase-experience. However, our results also revealed variable levels of satisfaction with ticketing. Qualitative responses revealed frustrations with booking fees and badly functioning websites. Perhaps as a result of these frustrations, 20% of respondents admitted to purchasing tickets via scalpers. In view of results from our pilot study, we propose a model for satisfaction with the ticket-purchase - time involved, mode of purchase, ticket format, and the purchase of ticket insurance are the key contributing factors. The findings of this study provide valuable, empirical evidence for sporting organisations and ticketing companies to further refine the sports fan experience.]]