FIBA admits ticket prices were too high in Philippines / News - Basketnews.com

Secretary General Andreas Zagklis acknowledged FIBA's role in the pricing strategy blunder in the Philippines, Manila, as Filipinos priced out of second and third tiers in the venues.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

The Philippines is known for its huge love for basketball. However, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 experience was clouded by the high ticket prices, preventing many locals from witnessing the games, filling the arenas, and showcasing their deep love for the sport to the world.

In Manila, numerous Filipinos voiced their disappointment, citing the expensive cost of tickets as the primary obstacle. Even Andreas Zagklis, the Secretary General of FIBA, acknowledged that the organization had made mistakes in its pricing strategy for the flagship event.

"The pricing of the tickets was determined by the locals but reviewed by FIBA, so we have our share in this. We were part of this process. For some categories, it was not successful, I can say that," Zagklis admitted. "This is one of the major thinking points we will have.

"I was several times in the venue where the fourth and fifth tiers were full, the first tier was full, and the second and third were not. So that's where you immediately see the impact of pricing. And this happened several times, so perhaps we can say that the second and the third tiers were higher priced than would have been the market-acceptable price," the executive continued.

"With that said, when the local team is playing, it is also difficult to fill in the other venue where other teams are playing at the same time. Because those who are not in the venue will watch their national team on TV or on their phone. If I am not mistaken, we did have here 50 or 50+ games to fill in the venues. Indeed, we would have liked to have a little bit higher attendance here in Manila. Overall, we are happy with how it worked.

"But yeah, some pricing categories were not right in our judgment before the tournament, and we need to review them for future success."

Despite all the obstacles, the Philippines drew 38,115 to the tournament opener against the Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena, Manila, and shattered the all-time FIBA World Cup attendance record.

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