Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is taking a swing at the high cost of watching live sports. The Vermont senator says he'll soon introduce a bill that would force professional sports teams to keep ticket prices within reach for everyday fans.
In a post on X, Sanders backed NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's stance on affordable tickets, writing: "Working people should be able to afford to attend live sporting events. I'll soon be introducing a bill demanding that professional sports teams make their tickets affordable."
He added a pointed reminder: "If taxpayers helped fund a stadium they must be able to afford to sit in it."
The senator's comments come after Mamdani launched a program with the USTA to offer 1,000 U.S. Open tickets at $100 each, exclusively for NYC residents, as resale prices soared. The move caught the attention of billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who praised the mayor's push despite their political differences. Ackman welcomed the initiative and called for more areas of agreement with Mamdani.
This isn't the first time ticket affordability has sparked political heat. In April, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Governor Kathy Hochul criticized FIFA for charging $100 for train tickets to the 2026 World Cup venue. Schumer argued that FIFA, which is set to earn nearly $11 billion from the World Cup, should cover transportation costs for host cities and states. "New York commuters and residents should not subsidize an $11 billion windfall," he said.
The broader issue is clear: as stadiums get pricier and tickets get more expensive, the people who help foot the bill for these venues are often priced out of the experience. Sanders' bill, if introduced, would aim to change that—at least for professional sports teams that benefit from public funding.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.
