Jason Ford

The Rory Burns dismissal by Mitchell Starc with commentary from Tony Greig and Geoffrey Boycott #Ashes #ENGvsAUS

In Australia you if you can only sell a ticket 10% above the purchase price on the authorised Ticketek and Ticketmaster sites. There’s going to be a lot of empty seats because people won’t travel and book accommodation in the hope that waiting till the very last minute ticket prices will come down as the scalpers can’t offload them due to the inflated asking price.

I’m used to the role of bots and speculators when I shop for live music tickets (we attend a lot of concerts) I asked the question of whether the same behavior is now in play with WC tickets due to the dynamic pricing strategy deployed by FIFA. Here is what’s happening as of this latest “last minute sale” 1. This isn’t a normal ticket market anymore What FIFA has effectively done is import a U.S.-style entertainment pricing model into the World Cup. •Dynamic pricing means prices move in real time based on demand •So the same seat can jump dramatically depending on: •who’s playing •when you click •how many others are in the queue That alone creates volatility that feels like speculation even before speculators enter. ⸻ 2. Supply-demand is completely out of balance This is the biggest underlying driver. •Massive global demand, especially with: •first U.S. World Cup since 1994 •48 teams, more traveling fans •Nearly 2 million tickets sold early with demand exceeding previous tournaments And yet: •The genuinely cheap tickets (like the $60 tier) are tiny in number •For big matches, prices are already: •$2,000–$6,000+ for the final •$1,000+ even for some group games That imbalance invites speculation. It’s oxygen for it. ⸻ 3. The big structural shift: resale is now a marketplace This is where your instinct about “high-risk game” is spot on. For the first time: •Reselling above face value is legal in the U.S. •FIFA even runs an official resale platform (with fees) That changes everything. It means: •Tickets are no longer just for fans •They’re tradeable assets So yes: 👉 Speculators are absolutely in the market 👉 And they’re behaving like traders, not supporters ⸻ 4. Are bots involved? Almost certainly, but they’re not the main story. Bots typically: •Scoop early inventory •Exploit release windows •Feed resale platforms But here’s the key point: 👉 Even without bots, prices would still be very high Because the system itself is designed to push them there. ⸻ 5. Are speculators taking a big risk? This is the really interesting part. Yes… but it’s asymmetric. Why they think it’s safe: •Global, once-every-4-years event •Strong U.S. corporate demand •Hospitality market already normalized at high prices •“Bucket list” psychology (people stretch budgets) Where the risk lies: •104 matches is a lot of inventory •Group-stage games without big teams could soften •Economic conditions could bite •If teams like England or the U.S. underperform, demand drops fast So: 👉 Finals, semis, big nations = low risk 👉 Early rounds, weaker matchups = potentially very risky ⸻ 6. The uncomfortable truth This isn’t just speculation. This is a deliberate repositioning of the World Cup toward: •premium entertainment •corporate hospitality •high-spending global consumers Fan groups are already calling it a “betrayal” And frankly… they’re not wrong. ⸻ My honest take You’re looking at the early stages of something quite profound: •The World Cup is shifting from mass-access global festival •toward high-value, limited-access mega-event Speculators are playing the game, yes. But FIFA has rewritten the rules of the game itself. ⸻ If you were actually considering going, I’d treat this like airline pricing: •Be flexible on matches •Avoid emotional purchases early •And watch the resale market closer to kickoff… that’s where the real story will unfold

Carlton lead North 73-51 at three-quarter time. So North to win by 24? #aflnorthblues #afl

@GoldenAgeCrickt Coukd be a reincarnation 😂

@TheFordFactor Just 120 years too early!

Nothing to see here except Tom Hayward (right) fen skating with his brother in January 1908.

@weymarplanet Eddo Brandes an absolute beast.

The "Golden Generation" of Zimbabwe cricket. The Flower brothers, Olonga, Streak, Campbell, Houghton, Johnson. These legends shaped Zimbabwe Cricket. 🇿🇼 Who else do you recognize and give us your favorite? 😍

Put your money put your money where your mouth is…….FootyTab!

I had a heart attack after being told my £285,000 William Hill win was a glitch... I'm still in hospital trib.al/PjX1Rz3

When there's a fuel crisis, and you're told not to panic because everything is under control!

Big announcement coming. Could it be an asteroid is headed straight for earth?

@BabajiSutar3 That first shot was of Geoff Marsh bowling the final over because Gavaskar was so slow. They ended up 4/192 off 50 overs chasing 293 You’re right about classic defence.

Little Master Sunil Gavaskar playing Classic elegance defence and sudden fire. Pure poetry in motion ❤️

Disappointed you didn’t do a April Fools gag @RedbackJim like changing your handle to @NSWbluesJim

@ripperriver My problem is I keep having to hit hash to hear all the options again because I forget by the 8th one.

Im so old I can remember when you could call a company and someone would answer the phone. 😑

How do we calculate the Kit Kat heist strike rate? 413,793 candy bars times the number of people who were involved, divided by 100?

This isn’t a problem for the Italian Cricket team!

Sad part is there are a few NRL journos that would believe this. Happy April 1

@CricketopiaCom Almost happened again in the 91/2 WSC. This time the bat slipped from his hand and almost took the stumps

Not the full video but yeah, he did hit the stump and nobody appealed it seems.

Hearing the thieves have threatened to break fingers if their demands aren’t met

There’s another Bucknor out there that makes really bad decisions?