- Title: Winter Games ticket demand ramped up late, On Location CEO says
- Date: 16th February 2026
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF OLYMPIC GAMES OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY PROVIDER ON LOCATION, PAUL CAINE, SAYING: "You know, with the Olympics, there's a varying degree of when desire begins. In this particular games, Winter Games, it feels like the holidays came upon us and people started to really decide they wanted to go post-holiday. So we saw a lot of people, even now, today,
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: LA28 Milano Cortina Olympics Winter Olympics hospitality
- Location: MILAN, ITALY
- City: MILAN, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Europe,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA005574115022026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ticket demand for the Winter Olympics has skewed later than other major international sporting events, with fans only starting to commit after the holiday season and purchases continuing into its second week, according to On Location CEO Paul Caine.
"With the Olympics, there's a varying degree of when the desire begins," Caine told Reuters on Saturday (February 14).
“In this particular Winter Games, it feels like the holidays came upon us and people started to really decide they wanted to go post-holiday. So we saw a lot of people, even now, today, we're halfway through the games and people are still buying and then getting on planes to come here on their first interest. So it's interesting how the demand curve changes."
Fans packed the streets around the Arco della Pace, where one of two Olympic cauldrons dazzled tourists and locals alike over the weekend as enthusiasm appeared to be surging.
The Games in Italy have so far gone off largely without a hitch despite some rocky preparations, with ticket sales currently at 85%, or 1.27 million sold as of Saturday.
Caine said differences in the timing of ticket and hospitality purchases for major international sporting events often reflect regional buying habits.
Americans typically purchase tickets earlier while European and some Asian customers tend to decide later, a pattern he said can complicate planning for global events.
Demand for this summer's FIFA World Cup has come early, driven by anticipation of the tournament's return to North America, he said.
Interest was strong even before the draw in December and accelerated further afterward.
Caine pointed to the Super Bowl as another event that draws early buyers, typically soon after packages go on sale in May or June, as fans lock in plans well ahead of the game.
The Los Angeles Games in 2028 has On Location working to develop a variety of options at various price points.
"We're going to have hundreds of thousands of guests coming to LA who are going to want to do more than just have a ticket to go see the Olympics," he said.
"We will help them with all of the things they need, whether it's hotels, transportation, ticketing, experiences, excursions, getting closer than ever to what LA28 is going to be all about, and really having a bucket list once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Caine said sports tourism has emerged as a major economic force that shows no signs of slowing down.
"About $600 billion a year is spent on destination sports travel," he said.
"In just a couple of years, it'll be over a trillion dollars. So the growth rate is extraordinary.”
(Production: Irene Wang, Rory Carroll) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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