Can you elaborate? I don't see how physical tickets factor into this. I mean, it seems like it's the same outrageousness either way to me.

Don't know if you read the article, but the point is that you used to get something collectible. I've saved every one of my concert ticket stubs since 1983.

Now, for your $50 per ticket in junk fees, you don't even get a tiny piece of card stock. In fact, you've been charged a "convenience fee" for using YOUR OWN PRINTER. That is disgraceful. And now I don't think you can even use a physical printout anymore.

And that's not even getting into the resale/transfer-rights aspect.

If nothing else a physical ticket is a bearer instrument. You can sell it to someone else without having to give StubHub or another third party a cut of the deal.