More than 50,000 tickets unsold for England soccer match in Tampa

Ticket prices stir debate among Tampa soccer fans

Ticket sales are lagging in advance of next weeks England vs. New Zealand soccer game here in Tampa. FOX 13's Blake DeVine has the story. 

TAMPA, Fla - Local soccer fans packed a Tampa pub Saturday afternoon to watch the UEFA Champions League final, but high ticket prices are keeping thousands of them from attending next Saturday's World Cup warm-up match at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa stadium ticket availability

What we know:

More than 50,000 seats are still available for the exhibition game between England and New Zealand. According to reports from The London Telegraph, only about 13,000 tickets have been sold so far for the match at Raymond James Stadium.

An aerial view of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where more than 50,000 seats remain empty ahead of next Saturday's exhibition match.

Empty stadium seats mystery

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed if event organizers will officially lower the baseline ticket prices or launch a last-minute marketing campaign to fill the empty sections. It remains unclear exactly how many total tickets must be sold to avoid massive financial losses for the venue.

Local soccer fan reactions

What they're saying:

"It’s not affordable, especially for a friendly," said soccer fan Courtney Stewart, who is choosing to save her money for an upcoming World Cup game in Miami instead. 

Eyuel Yimer bought a $120 ticket to the England and New Zealand exhibition. He pointed out an overall lack of awareness about the game. "They have got to work on advertising it more," he said. "I asked a lot of my friends and they don’t even know that England is coming here."

World Cup exhibition costs

By the numbers:

Ticketmaster has the cheapest seats for the exhibition listed at about $74 with World Cup matches less than two weeks away. Fan Cheryl Stewart said that price remains a tough sell for the public, noting that she is not among the few people willing to pay that much just to go. 

"There are a few people who are going to pay that, that really just want to go," she said. "I’m not one of them though."

A Ticketmaster seat map shows widespread availability in the upper decks and designated fan sections at Raymond James Stadium.

Ticket price drop predictions

Big picture view:

The Athletic senior writer and broadcaster Adam Leventhal is urging fans to be patient. Leventhal explained that dynamic pricing strategies mean dropping prices late if those 50,000 seats remain available on Saturday night because organizers ultimately need to get bums on seats. 

"There is dynamic pricing and dynamic pricing means getting bums on seats," Leventhal said. "That means dropping prices late if those seats are still available."
 

Teams take the pitch for warmups at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa ahead of international soccer play.

Raymond James Stadium schedule

What's next:

The exhibition match between England and New Zealand is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. next Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.