Olympics CEO says more $28 tickets will be released in later drops. The question is, how many?

LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover on Wednesday responded to the outcry over tickets for the Olympics, saying the average price was "accessible" and that more $28 tickets would be available in later drops.

He also defended the prices, the majority of which are more than $100 and can go as high as $5,500. Each ticket includes a 24% service fee.

"The average ticket price is under $200," he said. "That's an accessible ticket."

Not everyone in Southern California agrees. After the cheapest tickets sold out quickly in the locals-only sale that wraps Wednesday, many Angelenos wondered if they'd missed their chance to get affordable seats at Olympic competitions and said they felt priced out of the Games before they'd even arrived in Los Angeles.

Hoover pushed back against that idea, saying ticket sales were critical to paying for the Games, which could end up costing taxpayers if they're not delivered within budget.

" These are the biggest games in Olympic history. And so in order for us to be able to deliver a fiscally responsible, as well as a safe and secure Games, our ticket prices start at $28 and offer a range of pricing for everybody," Hoover said. "You may get on the website and you're not gonna necessarily find the ticket at your price in this drop. There'll be more drops coming."

What's unclear is how many $28 tickets, or tickets under $100, will be made available in future sales, including the general sale that launches Thursday.

LA28 has avoided sharing exact numbers and prices, outside the promise to make at least 1 million tickets available for $28.

The cost of tickets could get even more expensive in future sales. When LAist asked if Olympics organizers would use dynamic pricing, where sellers can adjust prices based on demand, Hoover didn't rule it out.

" We're not using dynamic pricing in this round of ticket drops," Hoover said. "We may adjust it in the future."

Another way people in Southern California can participate in the Olympics will be to volunteer. But it appears there will be fierce competition for those slots, too. Hoover said Wednesday that he estimated needing 60,000 volunteers and that more than a quarter million people had signed up. That includes some 50,000 locals.