Maybe they should price the tickets more reasonably? On the Groupon side opposite the judges, with the seats at $69 a pop on Sat and Fri night were sold out for men’s and ladies’ free skate well in advance, whereas the side selling at regular price ~$200 was practically empty.
Right from the time the prices were announced it was clear from everything I read that they were going to have problems selling, I suspect the organisers were rather optimistically thinking they might get Yuzuru yes - which probably would have done it - but probably also Chen AND Shoma - which surely would have done it, look at the battles for Worlds :shocked:
Yuzuru is an absolute phenom both skating and popularity wise, no two ways about it (and the reasons why have always been way more complex than just "he's the best skater!"), but Shoma is also hugely popular in Japan and elsewhere, and I think it should be lauded that he and Boyang (and Rika and the other Japanese ladies, and Sui/Han, and Jason and the rest) could manage to 'sell' the number of overpriced to somewhereIwon'tnameforpoliteness'sake seats that they did.