Revenue / 04.15.20

The Dodgers and Angels Aren't Playing. Shouldn't Game Tickets Be Refunded?

Access Staff

Los Angeles Times (04/10/20) Shaikin, Bill

The unofficial cancellation of the April 10 Dodgers-Angels game in Los Angeles has not prompted automatic refunds for ticket holders, nor has Major League Baseball (MLB) ticket resale partner StubHub done the same. Even as it becomes increasingly likely that MLB will be unable to play a full season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league lists unplayed games as postponed rather than canceled, which uncompensated fans are balking at. Shavonnah Schreiber, owner of sports marketing and branding consultancy SNR Creative, says fans are likely to remember MLB's response to the crisis harshly as they suffer job reductions, work cancellations and lost income. She adds that with $11 billion in annual revenue, MLB should consider the goodwill that would come from immediate ticket refunds. "Right now, if you have a large organization and you have any ability to absorb any amount, people are almost expecting that you do, because you are in a better position to absorb it than an individual household would be," Schreiber says.

Read the full story from the Los Angeles Times. 

Tags: Sports , StubHub , COVID-19 , Coronavirus