Price elasticity of demand relates to the question of how consumers respond to a change in price. Will they cut back their purchases a lot or just a little when the price of an item rises?
Price elasticity of demand often depends on whether or not consumers can find an acceptable substitute for the product that is going up in price. When substitutes are plentiful, demand is more likely to be elastic because consumers have more freedom to adjust their spending decisions. They can choose to buy a comparable product at a lower price.
But when there are few acceptable substitutes, demand tends to be inelastic because consumers don't have as many options. For example, if producers raise the price of fuel, consumers can try to drive fewer miles or adjust their thermostats, but there is a limit to how much they can cut their fuel consumption. And if the price of a product like medicine goes up, consumers don't even have the option of cutting their consumption. There are no suitable substitutes for certain medicines, and taking the proper dosage is essential.
So what about sports? Although diehard fans may disagree, sports tickets are not among life's essential products, and at first glance there would seem to be plenty of entertainment substitutes—minor league sports, movies, concerts, outdoor recreation. But apparently enough fans/consumers still believe that a professional sporting event is a unique form of entertainment, so they are willing and able to spend more of their money to compete for the limited supply of tickets. And as long as demand remains strong, teams can continue to push up ticket prices.
Where did the money come from to fuel strong demand for tickets? Much of it came from customers at the high end of the income scale. During the 1990s, top earners—those in the upper 20 percent, and particularly those in the top 5 percent—saw their income increase sharply, thanks to a combination of stock market gains and rising earnings for high-yield workers.