According to Bookies.com, attending NBA games this season is up 5.3 percent. The cost between the priciest and the cheapest seats can be dramatic as well.
Bookies.com calculated the cost of attending NBA games at each arena for the 2023-24 season. “On average, families will spend $304.64 on four of the cheapest available tickets, a parking spot, two beers, two sodas and four hot dogs at an NBA arena this winter,” wrote Adam Thompson.
The NBA’s cheapest tickets on average total $218.70 for four, plus $25.33 for parking, two beers for $23.50, two sodas for $13.08 and four hot dogs for $24.03—$304.64 for a family of four.
The Minnesota Timberwolves this season are the 10th most expensive for fans of the 30 teams, down one from a year ago, at $336.84 for a family of four: cheapest ticket, $266.67; parking, $11.67; two beers, $22; two sodas, $11.50; four hot dogs, $25.
New York (most expensive, $619.19), Golden State, Boston, Los Angeles Lakers, and Brooklyn are the top five costliest NBA games to attend; and in reverse order, Charlotte (least expensive, $158.72), Indiana, Utah, Oklahoma City, and Detroit are the five cheapest teams for fans to attend their games this season.
Three teams do have cost increases higher than the Knicks—Milwaukee, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento—while Charlotte, Indiana and Utah fans pay less than they would attending a Knicks game in New York.
In a further breakdown, many NBA arenas, including the Wolves, don’t have their own parking lots or ramps. The priciest parking in the NBA is over $40 in Boston, Golden State (San Francisco), New York, and Oklahoma City. The cheapest is found in New Orleans and Dallas (average cost is $10 or less), and the league average is about $25.
Getting something to drink at NBA games, such as soda or beer, is pricey as well, $20 at Boston and Golden State games, the lowest at Oklahoma City (about $6.75). Charlotte has the cheapest soda in the NBA, but eight teams sell “family friendly” drinks for $5 or less. Minnesota’s average cost for two 20 oz. sodas is $11.50, two dollars below the league average.
San Antonio and Atlanta have the lowest hot dog prices at $3 or less. New York hot dogs cost $36, and they’re $34 at Golden State. Two hot dogs in Minnesota will cost you $25.
So attending NBA games isn’t cheap and isn’t getting any cheaper this season and beyond. The price inflation isn’t just for hoops fans. NFL games are more expensive this season as well, a 17 percent increase from last season at $646.88 on average for a family of four with the other usual expenses.