Colorado Avalanche fans are being misled by third-party resale sites selling tickets to official watch parties as game entries [1].
This trend highlights a growing risk for sports fans who may spend significant sums on tickets only to find they lack access to the actual arena. The misrepresentation of event types on these platforms creates financial losses for consumers and frustration for the team's fanbase.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the Colorado Avalanche, said that some listings are appearing at a "suspiciously high price point" [1]. These sites are listing tickets for watch-party events but presenting them in a way that suggests they are for the professional games themselves [2].
Fans have reported falling victim to these deceptive listings. One anonymous Avalanche fan said, "We've been burned buying tickets we thought were for the game, but turned out it was for a watch party" [2].
The issue comes amid a broader effort to regulate the ticket industry. In 2026 [3], House Bill 563 was introduced to target fake tickets, hidden fees, and scalping within the fast-growing resale market [3]. The legislation aims to provide more transparency and protection for buyers facing price-gouging and fraudulent listings [3].
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment has urged fans to be cautious when navigating online marketplaces. The organization said the importance of verifying the specific event type before completing a purchase to avoid inflated costs for non-game events [1].
“"suspiciously high price point."”
The rise of these deceptive listings underscores a systemic gap in the regulation of third-party ticket marketplaces. While House Bill 563 represents a legislative attempt to curb fraud and price-gouging, the current situation with the Colorado Avalanche shows that sellers can still exploit ambiguity in event descriptions to inflate prices. This puts the burden of verification on the consumer, who must now distinguish between official game access and ancillary fan events.
