Prices for 2012 London Games Announced; Team GB Families Guaranteed Tickets

10/19/2010

On October 15^th, 2010 ticket prices for the Olympic games were announced.

In an effort to keep ticket prices affordable, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has priced 90 percent of the available 8.8 million tickets below £100. Two-thirds of the tickets will be at or below £50 and 30 percent at £20 or less.

Tickets for the sporting events will range from £20.12 up to £725 for the hottest event, the 100m athletics final. The highest priced ticket is set for £2,012, reserved for the best seats at the opening ceremony.

The pricing structure works as an economic balancing act; the most in-demand seats command the highest prices, allowing for millions of tickets to be affordable and available at a wide range of prices. With this strategy, LOCOG intends to see the stadia composed of an enthusiastic audience, packed with sports fans young and old. A pay-your-age scheme available for over 200 events allows for children 16 years and younger to pay their admission equivalent to their age and seniors 60 years or older to purchase tickets at a flat £16.

The families of Great Britain's athletes will be guaranteed tickets to watch their loved ones at the Games. The British Olympic Association along with the London Organizing Committee reached agreement that families of Team GB's athletes would not experience the debacle that occurred for too many families in Beijing. Black market scammers and ticket unavailability reduced many families to watching their son or daughters' Olympic performance on a Technicolor screen at home instead of being in the stands cheering them on.

Unless the International Olympic Committee (IOC) takes action upon black market scamming and ticket handlers, this description may be far too accurate for many families of athletes around the world. It is strongly advised that tickets purchased online are only from authorized and official sites.