Is Resale the New Ratings?

Live sports tickets have always had value. But now the resale market is turning them into something more powerful: A real-time signal of fan intensity.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a clear example of this. Demand has surged, with hundreds of millions of requests and a very limited supply. FIFA leaders have acknowledged that many tickets will re-enter the market. And marquee matches are already commanding extraordinary resale prices, some as high as six figures.

Beyond just hype, it’s an important insight.

Reach tells you how many people are watching. Resale tells you how badly they want to be there. It measures urgency, intensity, and emotional investment. They’re all signals traditional sponsorship metrics often miss.

Properties that consistently generate strong resale demand can be markers of deeper cultural relevance and stronger fan loyalty.

As leagues and governing bodies experiment with official resale platforms, dynamic pricing, and new ticket ownership models, the secondary market is shifting from a problem to a powerful indicator of real fan value.

Best,
Ryan Sailer