From Casual to Costly: How Rising Prices Make Entertainment Less Accessible

FujiFilm atop coins, symbolizing the price of entertainment and the arts. Published 9/17/2022 Photo by Long (lTiga) Nguyen

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. 

Historically, live events were much more affordable to the general public when they were held for promoting artistry rather than maximizing profit.

Fans attended Bruce Springsteen’s 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 on Ticketmaster. The blame was placed on Ticketmaster’s 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’s tour prices. 

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’s not just live events that have become expensive. Other forms of entertainment, such as film and television services, require monthly payments from users – payments not everyone can afford. 

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’s subscriptions exist in tiers – standard with ads, standard, and premium – with price options ranging from $108 annually to $324 annually, according to their website. 

So why not consume media at a theater? 

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. As of last year, that number has jumped once again, leaving consumers to pay upwards of $20 for one ticket, varying by location. 

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. 

Sarah Lombardi ‘26 said, “Arts in any form should be accessible to people.” As a Media Studies and Production major, she understands the film industry’s 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. 

“Raising prices creates a barrier between entertainment and the consumers who may not be able to afford it,” Lombardi added. 

Some of these barriers are so strong that consumers must choose between saving hefty sums of money or indulging in the entertainment they love.

From 1991 to 2023, the price of attending an MLB or NFL game rose by 300%, according to the New York Times. Formula 1 tickets cost 409% more in 2026 than they did in 2016. The price of UFC events increased by 140% in the same span of time. 

The sports industry isn’t alone in this drastic increase, as Broadway shows have also been hit with such inflation. In fact, one Broadway ticket for Othello, starring Denzel Washington, cost over $900 in 2025, as stated by The Guardian. 

The entertainment industry has transformed from casual to costly. Attending outlets such as drive-in cinemas, local theater productions, and smaller sports events fulfill the craving for entertainment and support the community in a cost-friendly way.

Capitalizing on public content limits the diversity of audiences. Limiting the diversity of audiences creates exclusivity for the consumption of entertainment and the arts. And creating exclusivity ultimately lessens the impact this entertainment has on viewers. 

Keep art alive, keep art accessible, and keep art meaningful. Otherwise, its authenticity becomes polluted as its integrity falters.