{"id":444932,"date":"2022-05-10T23:36:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T20:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/nba-teams-hike-ticket-prices-as-attendance-drops-data-shows\/"},"modified":"2022-05-10T23:36:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T20:36:14","slug":"nba-teams-hike-ticket-prices-as-attendance-drops-data-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/nba-teams-hike-ticket-prices-as-attendance-drops-data-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"#NBA teams hike ticket prices as attendance drops, data shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2787795ea40\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2787795ea40\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/nba-teams-hike-ticket-prices-as-attendance-drops-data-shows\/#%E2%80%9CNBA_teams_hike_ticket_prices_as_attendance_drops_data_shows%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;NBA teams hike ticket prices as attendance drops, data shows&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CNBA_teams_hike_ticket_prices_as_attendance_drops_data_shows%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;NBA teams hike ticket prices as attendance drops, data shows&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>NBA owners are raking in more cash than before the pandemic by charging higher ticket prices \u2014 despite lower TV ratings and increasingly empty seats at arenas, according to internal NBA data exclusively obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n<p>The average \u201cgate\u201d per team, or dollars from ticket sales, rose 10.2% compared to the last pre-pandemic season (2018-19) with fans now paying an average of $109 per ticket, according to data from this past season. That\u2019s an 18.6% increase since 2018-19 and is roughly double the rate of inflation.<\/p>\n<p>However, the number of paid fans at arenas plummeted 7.1% to 13,603 per <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>, the exclusive data also shows. The Post calculated average ticket prices by dividing gate receipts by paid attendance.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers are still worse for underperforming clubs, with some suffering declines of more than 30% in paid home attendance.<\/p>\n<p>The troubling trend could pose problems for the NBA as it begins negotiations for its next lucrative TV contract, with the current $2.66 billion annual deal with ABC\/ESPN and Turner Sports set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season. <\/p>\n<p>The league generates roughly 70% of its revenue through <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> rights and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is reportedly seeking a new, nine-year deal that will pay $8 billion a year. National TV ratings were slightly lower this season than in 2018-19.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/silver.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"NBA Commissioner Adam Silver \" class=\"wp-image-22214200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/silver.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/silver.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/silver.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is reportedly seeking a new, nine-year deal that will pay $8 billion a year.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d be wondering if this is a canary in a coal mine,\u201d a source who advises NBA teams said. \u201cIf I were Silver, I would be on the teams with the biggest attendance drops telling them it was unacceptable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Locally, the underachieving Knicks average ticket price rose to $185, a 14% increase since 2018-19 \u2014 despite the team failing to make the playoffs this year. The franchise\u2019s paid attendance fell 4%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Moe Dayekh, whose family has owned Knicks season tickets for six years, says he\u2019s grudgingly coughing up for the hike. But he says other season-ticket holders are instead planning to buy tickets next season for select games on the resale market.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do think the prices are high, for sure, and you struggle to get your money back on the secondary market,\u201d confirms Christopher Porcelli, a season ticket holder since 2014.<\/p>\n<p>Insiders have floated varying theories on why attendance has dropped. While lingering COVID concerns and vaccine requirements kept fans away from some arenas during the first half of the season, teams have meanwhile hiked prices for tickets to compensate for the money lost. On top of the stiff increases, some insiders also have speculated that fans were turned off by the NBA\u2019s embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/cuban.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban\" class=\"wp-image-22214214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/cuban.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/cuban.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/cuban.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>\u201cHopefully we will have a normal playoffs, and next year,\u201d Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the Post \u201cThen we will have a better feel for demand and pricing elasticity.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In an interview with The Post, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said it\u2019s impossible to know which played the biggest role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think you can draw any conclusions in a season impacted by COVID,\u201d Cuban told The Post. \u201cWe had customers \u2026 not come because of mandates. It was a different season that can\u2019t be compared to anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Mavs, who are tied 2-2 heading into tonight\u2019s Game 5 of their best-of-seven <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> against Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals, saw their average gate climb 20%, and the number of paid tickets sold rose 3%, according to the data.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHopefully we will have a normal playoffs, and next year,\u201d Cuban said. \u201cThen we will have a better feel for demand and pricing elasticity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NBA also blamed Covid for keeping fans away before the start of the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOverall attendance was down during the regular season because of the Omicron spike but since April we have had record attendance including 59 consecutive sell-outs to date during the playoffs,\u201d NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/irving-durant.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant\" class=\"wp-image-22214241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/irving-durant.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/irving-durant.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/irving-durant.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The Nets\u2019 gate was driven as its average ticket prices soared to $144, a 66% increase.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Brooklyn Nets had the biggest increase in average net gate with a 109% gain, according to the data obtained by the Post. The Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers all posted increases of 40% or better.<\/p>\n<p>The Nets\u2019 gate was driven as its average ticket prices soared to $144, a 66% increase.  Longtime Nets season ticket holder Dennis Lin \u2014 who just signed up for his 19th season, going back to the Continental Airlines Arena days \u2014 says his seats doubled in price.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s a little bit too high. It\u2019s not like I\u2019m pitchfork outraged,\u201d Lin told The Post. \u201cThat being said, there are a lot of season ticket holders that I do know that are outraged. It took them a long time to either consider renewing, or they\u2019re definitely moving down to half seasons or just not renewing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the Nets\u2019 paid attendance also rose \u2014 up 26% from pre-pandemic levels \u2014 it was driven by the fact that the team had no superstars in 2018-19, but added Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving the next June. <\/p>\n<p>Accordingly, the Nets may have lost the most money in the\u00a0NBA \u2013 over $50 million this season \u2013 because of the steep increase in payroll.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/seats-03.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Empty seats at Toronto's ScotiaBank Arena\" class=\"wp-image-22214310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/seats-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/seats-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/seats-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Despite having fan bases flush with cash, 10 of the 30 teams saw paid attendance drop by 15% or more..<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Toronto Star via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI know teams that hiked ticket prices to help climb out of the financial hole from the last two seasons while simultaneously being committed to enhancing the fan experience as events opened up,\u2019\u201d said Rick Allen, CEO of ViewLift, a tech platform for fan engagement and streaming for sports teams.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the price increases might be hard to maintain. Gate revenue rose partly because NBA fans had cabin fever and were anxious to get out and see games after the pandemic waned, sources said. Unspent stimulus checks also helped fans pay for the higher ticket prices.<\/p>\n<p>Despite having fan bases flush with cash, 10 of the 30 teams saw paid attendance drop by 15% or more. That includes the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trailblazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the San Antonio Spurs. The New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets both were down 32% each.<\/p>\n<p>None of those 10 are still alive in the second round of the playoffs, and seven of them missed the postseason altogether. Many \u2013 like the Rockets, Trailblazers, Kings, Magic and Pacers \u2013 did not put a competitive product on the floor for most of the regular season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are as strong as your weakest link,\u201d the source close to the NBA said. \u201cYou can\u2019t have nearly half your league with fans giving a big yawn.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/blm-01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Black Lives Matter is displayed during the 2020 playoffs.\" class=\"wp-image-22214313\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/blm-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/blm-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/blm-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Some have blamed the drop in eyeballs on the league\u2019s embrace of the Black Live Matter movement in the wake of social unrest following the killing of George Floyd. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Average viewership this season across ABC, ESPN and TNT fell to 1.6 million. In 2018-19, there were 1.99 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, and 1.5 million on TNT. <\/p>\n<p>Some have blamed the drop in eyeballs on the league\u2019s embrace of the BLM movement in the wake of social unrest following the killing of George Floyd. The NBA painted \u201cBlack Lives Matter\u201d on all the league\u2019s courts and allowed players to wear jerseys with names of police shooting victims.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalf the country says this is not us,\u201d the source close to the NBA said.<\/p>\n<p>Other sports insiders believe fans care more about their teams than politics. More socially liberal fans still watch the NFL even though the league has arguably turned a blind eye to racial discrimination, and social conservatives will still want to see gravity-defying dunks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/curry.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Steph Curry \" class=\"wp-image-22214272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/curry.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/curry.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/curry.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Fan darling Steph Curry\u2019s Golden State Warriors, with a pricey new arena, averaged a league-high $4.2 million in gate, according to the internal data \u2013 a 19% increase. But Golden State\u2019s paid attendance is off 12%, despite the new arena.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fan darling Steph Curry\u2019s Golden State Warriors, with a pricey new arena, averaged a league-high $4.2 million in gate, according to the internal data \u2013 a 19% increase. That put them well above even the second place Los Angeles Lakers, who generated $3.1 million. But Golden State\u2019s paid attendance is off 12%, despite the new arena, the data show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe they overcharged a little bit,\u201d the source close to the NBA office said, before cautioning that the data is not a harbinger of dark days ahead for the league.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be alarmed by these numbers,\u201d the source said. \u201cBut I would take this seriously.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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The average \u201cgate\u201d per team, or dollars from&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":444933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/seats-02.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[128983,77893,70487,61594,72590,3674,90536],"class_list":["post-444932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-5-10-22","tag-adam-silver","tag-brooklyn-nets","tag-exclusive","tag-mark-cuban","tag-nba","tag-ticket-prices"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=444932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/444933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=444932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=444932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=444932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}