LA28 officials big on tickets sales pitch, short on details

LOS ANGELES —Fans can begin registering for the opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Wednesday morning.

As to what exactly will be available for the fans to purchase, LA28 officials wouldn’t say on Tuesday.

With approximately 300 former Olympians and the Olympic cauldron in the background during a photo opportunity at the Coliseum to kick off the ticket registration campaign Tuesday afternoon, LA28 officials presented an enthusiastic sales pitch but declined to answer specific questions about Olympic and Paralympic ticketing.

Beginning at 7 a.m. PST, fans can sign up at Tickets.LA28.org to register for a drawing to have the opportunity to purchase Olympic and Paralympic tickets. Registration is open until March 18.

Los Angeles area residents and those in the Oklahoma City region, the site of softball and canoe slalom, who register for the ticket draw will have a chance to secure a time slot during a special early-access window, according to LA28. The locals’ early purchase window will be from April 2 through April 6.

“The Games exist because what these incredible people put into their crafts, years of preparation, discipline and sacrifice that most people will never see,” said LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman, referring to the Olympians assembled behind him. “Every performance people remember starts long before anyone buys a ticket or turns on the screen. Sports still does something rare. It creates shared moments with a kind millions of people experience at the same time, the kind athletes train a lifetime for, and tomorrow, it’s the fans’ turn to show up and register for tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.”

Wasserman and LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover on Tuesday continued to emphasize what they characterized as the affordability and inclusiveness of the Games’ ticketing plan.

Wasserman, during the presentation, said that out of the Games’ estimated 14 million tickets, approximately 1 million will sell for $28 and that roughly a third of tickets would be under $100.

“These games have to be affordable and inclusive, especially for the communities of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, where competitions will take place,” Wasserman said. “That’s why tickets will start at $28 that’s why a million tickets will be priced at $28.”

But LA 28 officials on Tuesday repeatedly declined to answer specific questions such as what events will those $28 tickets be for, what is the highest priced ticket for the Games and for what event, what is the price range for tickets to the track and field finals, swimming and women’s gymnastics, what is the most inexpensive ticket and what is the most expensive, what is the price range for tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies?

“We won’t be getting into pricing specifics today,” LA 28 spokesperson Gabby Maarse said in an email to the Southern California News Group.

Although reporters were told there would be interview opportunities at the event, LA 28’s top two officials declined to be interviewed.

Wasserman was asked if he had time for questions as he hurried out of the Coliseum event.

“Not really,” Wasserman said.

Wasserman did say he was unaware that the Los Angeles City Council had voted unanimously four hours earlier to request LA 28 provide the council with a report on the role of a federal Olympic task force on the planning and conducting of the Games.

He then continued walking with aide and his security team to an area that reporters did not have access to.

Hoover did not respond when asked if he would talk to reporters as he walked out of the Coliseum in an opposite direction from Wasserman.

“We’re not speaking today,” Maarse said as she walked with Hoover.

Maarse referred questions to Janet Evans, LA28’s chief athlete officer. Evans referred specific ticket questions to the LA28 communications team, which said they could not answer specific ticketing questions.