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In a country where overconsumption is the norm, entertainment has transformed from leisure into luxury. The focus of the industry has shifted from sharing meaningful content to obtaining monetary gains, negatively impacting consumers. Free entertainment should be normalized. Capitalizing on the industry excludes certain individuals from consuming a variety of public content.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Historically, live events were much more affordable to the general public when they were held for promoting artistry rather than maximizing profit.<\/p>\n
Fans attended Bruce Springsteen\u2019s Lawsuit Tour in 1976 for around $8, amounting to $44 today. His 2023 tour, however, became unaffordable for many, with some tickets reaching $5,000<\/span><\/a> on Ticketmaster. The blame was placed on Ticketmaster\u2019s dynamic pricing, a system where available tickets fluctuate in price as a reaction to the demand they have. Despite this, fans were outraged at the inaccessibility of Springsteen\u2019s tour prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, concerts are widely considered to be a luxury. Individual ticket prices on resale sites often climb to the thousands, proving to be extremely costly for the average American. It\u2019s not just live events that have become expensive. Other forms of entertainment, such as film and television services, require monthly payments from users \u2013 payments not everyone can afford.\u00a0<\/p>\n Subscriptions have plagued the entertainment industry, leading typical streaming services to charge upwards of $100 annually, many including the interruption of ads. If the user opts to remove ads from their streaming, the total price increases greatly. Netflix\u2019s subscriptions exist in tiers \u2013 standard with ads, standard, and premium \u2013 with price options ranging from $108 annually to $324 annually, according to their website<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n So why not consume media at a theater?\u00a0<\/p>\n The cost of a cinema experience has also risen; movie theater viewing is now a budgeting decision rather than a leisurely activity. An average movie ticket cost around $6.55 in 2006. Fast forward to 2015, and the price of a typical ticket increased by 30%, according to CBS News<\/span><\/a>. As of last year, that number has jumped once again, leaving consumers to pay upwards of $20 for one ticket<\/span><\/a>, varying by location.\u00a0<\/p>\n While inflation, production costs, and theater upgrades all play a significant role in the rising prices of cinematic experiences, the capitalization of the entertainment industry is also contributing. For individuals and families who cannot afford a $20 ticket, in addition to snacks and concessions, movie theaters are seemingly impractical.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sarah Lombardi \u201826 said, \u201cArts in any form should be accessible to people.\u201d As a Media Studies and Production major, she understands the film industry\u2019s drive to create meaningful content. As a student, she understands the tight budget many college kids must maintain. The accessibility of entertainment should not be decided based on monetary factors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRaising prices creates a barrier between entertainment and the consumers who may not be able to afford it,\u201d Lombardi added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some of these barriers are so strong that consumers must choose between saving hefty sums of money or indulging in the entertainment they love.<\/p>\n From 1991 to 2023, the price of attending an MLB or NFL game rose by 300%, according to the New York Times<\/span><\/a>. Formula 1 tickets cost 409%<\/span><\/a> more in 2026 than they did in 2016. The price of UFC events increased by 140%<\/span><\/a> in the same span of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n