Leafs mania is taking Toronto by storm, while the aftermarket ticket sales for the Raptors and the Blue Jays are lucky to be offered at face value.
Assistant Professor Davin Raiha says the Leafs’ playoff run is an “exceptional circumstance” that has sucked revenue from baseball and NBA ticket sales, while also detouring audiences from non-sporting entertainment sources in the area.
“People also get turned off from the additional traffic and crowds and other congestion that’s then produced by major sporting events,” says Raiha, noting non-sports fans might be deterred from going out to eat or checking out a museum if they suspect hordes of sports fans are crowding downtown streets.