[Nick Patsaouras, originally an electrical engineer, was president of the Southern California Rapid Transit District during the 1984 Olympic Games, and has served as a Board member with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Board of Zoning Appeals and others. His 2024 book, The Making of Modern Los Angeles (ORO Editions) chronicled an insider’s view of the growth of the city. His opinions, are, of course, solely his own.]
During the last few days people seeking Olympic tickets were price shocked. And the whiplash was of Olympian magnitude. A number of L.A. City Council members claimed they have been misled on ticketing.
The LA28 organizing committee promoted $28 tickets for everyone, but these seats were limited mostly to a ‘locals-only-presale’ and sold out quickly. When global sales started, most buyers saw mostly only expensive seats priced at $300-$700. For some high-demand events (gymnastics, swimming, track finals, ceremonies), the only seats left were $1,000-$5,000+ premium rows. Included was a 24% service fee.
One thing is certain, the availability of affordable seats for the events people most want to attend is extremely limited. High-profile sports are pushed into the $300-$700 range, even for qualifying rounds, all adorned with an extra 24 percent service fee.
Frankly, this service fee is like a shadow tax on participation, and it affects those with less disposable income. The perception that the Games are structurally exclusive is reinforced. It is not presented as a tax, but as a service fee. It is not debated or voted on in public but is a mandatory fee that cannot be avoided if you want tickets.
Rightfully, it is seen as a ‘stealth surcharge’ which pushes borderline affordable tickets out of reach since they become meaningfully more expensive.
The handling of a $5,000 ticket should be the same as a $28 ticket, and therefore, if gouging is not involved, the service charge should be commensurate to the price of the ticket.
Unfortunately, L.A. city leaders have abdicated their fiduciary responsibilities for a long time and have allowed the LA28 committee to run amok. The cracks in the Olympics glass are getting bigger each day; fears of Olympics deficits, specter of traffic Armageddon, ticket gouging, lack of accountability and transparency on the part of the LA28 organizers, the Wasserman scandal, Mayor Karen Bass` unrealistic pronouncements – “car-free” and “Games for all” – while the taxpayers are responsible for any possible deficits that may lead L.A. to bankruptcy.
A backlash intensified following LA28’s launch of global ticket sales for the 2028 summer Olympic Games. This occurred after a prior presale, limited to residents of Greater Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, generated criticism regarding pricing, associated fees, and the availability of tickets.
A Culver City resident, Liz Kinnon, posted a letter in the Los Angeles Times explaining why she is no longer interested in buying tickets. “I registered early for presale tickets. I was notified I had a time slot. After many attempts to log in promptly (on my very dependable laptop) at my allotted time. I continued to get error messages. Between this, the lack of ticket availability, the prices (!), and the exorbitant service fee, I am out. Nope.”
LA28 committed to offering $28 tickets to uphold its public promise of “low-cost access,” yet this initiative was not implemented on a large scale. For the organizing committee, the $28 tickets served as an important symbol of affordability for political purposes, but it knew the economic impact was minimal. With these tickets vanishing quickly, the next thing people saw were tickets for preliminary events at $200-$400, mid-tier seats at $300-$700, and premium seats at $1,000-$5,000 plus. And, of course, the added outrageous service fee.
It was a brutal awakening. In a single click, people went from $28 Olympics to $700 Olympics.
For Los Angeles, a city already struggling with affordability, homelessness, inequality, and public trust, this is another hard hit.
Reflecting on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, I recall that making tickets affordable was seen as an important community value, going hand in hand with service, responsibility, respect, and entrepreneurship. In contrast, LA28 now presents ticket affordability primarily as a marketing point.
In 1984, tickets started at $3 ($9.70 in today’s dollars), and good seats for many major events were under $20. It was the objective of the organizing committee to keep prices low, fill venues, and build civic enthusiasm and pride.
The 1984 Olympics promoted community inclusion with affordable tickets, making the event accessible to many residents. In contrast, the 2028 Games feature expensive tickets and high fees, raising concerns that exclusivity and commercial interests are eclipsing the original spirit and limiting access for many in Los Angeles.
Residents near venues feel excluded despite bearing the burdens. For example, residents around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will face traffic, noise, and disruption, but may not be able to afford events happening in their own neighborhood.
We should also take into consideration that the facilities and infrastructure were built and are maintained with taxpayers` money.
Those near SoFi Stadium, UCLA, USC, Long Beach, and the Coliseum will face road closures, traffic, parking limits, noise, and security barriers. These impacts are mandatory. The pricing model leads to local disruption but favors elite access.
The LA28 Board mainly consists of wealthy and high-status individuals, making an elite Games seem likely. Its makeup is not a cross-section of Los Angeles, but a cross-section of elite Los Angeles. They include, among others, Casey Wasserman, entertainment executive, sports owner, and investor with multiple outlets reporting his net worth in the billion-dollar range; Ken Moelis, founder of Moelis & Company, a global investment bank, consistently listed by Forbes as a billionaire; José E. Feliciano, co founder of Clearlake Capital; Jeffrey Katzenberg, co founder of DreamWorks, former Disney studio head; Marc Stern, longtime investor and vice chair of The TCW Group; Mark Attanasio, founder of Crescent Capital and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers; along with high-net-worth members Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments; Jessica Alba, founder of The Honest Company; Jeanie Buss, former controlling owner of the Lakers; Elaine Chao, former Cabinet secretary with deep corporate ties; Maria Hummer-Tuttle, philanthropist with major assets; and Patrick Dumont, president of Las Vegas Sands (with family wealth in the billions).
Finally, the question of why LA28`s budget is $7.145 billion, vs. $5.24 billion for Paris 2024 (in today’s dollars) must be answered. And the only way to get the answer is for LA28 to open its books to the public.
Elite governance and lack of understanding of the Olympics spirit continue while locals bear the burdens. Unfortunately, the LA28 Committee did not heed Mayor Bass’ pronouncement of a “Games for all.” And the burdens get heavier with Wasserman, the chairman, remaining a source of controversy over his Jeffrey Epstein-related associations.
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