By Julien Pretot
(Reuters) – The organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympics said they would launch a streamlined public ticketing operation ahead of the event, with the first draw for a total of 10 million tickets for sale starting on Dec. 1.
Anyone in the world can enter the draw which ends on Jan. 31, 2023, and 3 million tickets in packages will effectively be available in February. Tickets will be obtainable from a single platform and will not be available through ticket resellers.
In past Olympics, early morning sessions for some less popular sports struggled to fill the stands leaving many empty seats and the broadcasters unhappy with the TV images.
Half of the tickets will cost 50 euros ($52) or less, while prices for a three-session package start at 72 euros.
The French State has already booked 400,000 of the remaining tickets, which also go to Olympic stakeholders, the official hospitality provider and sponsors, organisers said.
“The fact that you can make your own package is designed to avoid no-shows, which happens after people buy a package for a specific session and are handed with it two sessions they are not interested in,” Damien Rajot, head of ticketing, said.
Those packages will represent about 80% of the tickets sold to the public, with the other 20% being sold in May in form of single tickets.
“These tickets will be for the opening and closing ceremonies and the premium sessions, such as the 100 metres finals in athletics and swimming, or the basketball final, for example,” Michael Aloisio, chief of staff of Paris 2024 boss Tony Estanguet, said.
The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26-Aug. 11.
($1 = 0.9620 euros)
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
