How much is too much? Taking a look at skyrocketing ticket prices

-


There is nothing like being there live, but, over the years Staples Center has become $taples Center for Lakers fans.

Jack Nicholson. Denzel Washington. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. These are three true, die-hard Lakers fans. You see them at multiple games throughout the year, cheering on the purple and gold. They’re also well-off celebrities, so they have no issues when it comes to the cost of a Lakers ticket. But what about the average fan? The cost of a Lakers ticket has consistently risen year after year, even though the team has failed to make the playoffs for six straight seasons now. That means the casual fan is usually not able to be there in person to cheer on their team. What you normally see on TV is a large contingent of movie stars and musicians that are there not because they are true fans, but simply for show.


When you look at median ticket prices over the last few years, the average ticket price for the 2017-2018 season, before LeBron James joined the team, was $128.00. After LeBron joined the Lakers, ticket prices increased by 63% to $209.00 on average.


Despite the Warriors reaching five consecutive NBA finals, the Lake Show is still the hottest ticket around. The median ticket price for the Lakers now with both James and Anthony Davis in the fold for the upcoming season is over $250.00. That is an all-time NBA record for the average admission price.


Prices are so high that it’s nearly impossible for the average Joe to buy tickets when they first go on sale (primary market). Often times, fans will wait until they are re-sold (secondary market) in hopes of being able to save some money in order to watch their team play live.


On an annual basis, there is almost no remaining availability on the primary market once tickets go on sale. And prices are at an all time high on the secondary market. While that’s an ideal situation for the Lakers as an organization, it creates an interesting situation for fans looking for tickets. Since the average fan is reliant on the secondary market, they have to be savvy about their purchases in the current climate. Ticket prices have risen every year since the 2014-2015 season, and while prices didn’t rise that year, they didn’t fall either (the average ticket price from 2013-2015 was $102.25/ticket).


Now that the Lakers are considered title contenders, you can count on prices continuing to rise consistently over the next several years. Just know that as a fan, you’re not alone if you’re watching the game on TV instead of live in person. Sadly, fans are being priced out of being able to watch their favorite team in favor of greed. Chances are that as you watch, you’ll see at least one person/group in the crowd that couldn’t care less about how the team is doing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Will the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers be more "Showtime" or "Lake Show"?

-
The '80s were Showtime. The 2000's were Lake Show. Both were winners. What will the 2019-20 Lakers be? When you consider the Los Angeles Lakers most fans have no trouble conjuring up an image. For some its the Kobe lob to Shaq for an enthusiastic dunk against the Portland Trailblazers. For others it might be Derek Fishers shot with .04 seconds left or Robert Horry's shot that went through the net with even less time than that. So many memories. For others that are, shall we say, a bit more seasoned, the Lakers mean Showtime. Arguably the best team ever assembled and a team every Lakers team since them has tried to emulate. Those fans think about Magic's no look pass, Kareem's sky-hook, Jamal Wilkes 20-foot layup or maybe Michael Coopers Coop-a-Loop slam dunk. Regardless of which team you recall when you think Lakers, fans remember a winner! Both the teams from the 80's and 2000's won Championships. In fact, they won 10! Los Angeles fans are notoriously fickl
Read more

Los Angeles Clippers: Free Agency 2019 Aftermath - WOW

-
Ok, that was fun, wasn't it? With the signing of JaMychal Green the Clippers completed the franchises most incredible FA signing period ever. In fact, the word "incredible" doesn't really do it justice. What they accomplished was franchise altering, it was unimaginable and virtually incomprehensible. I know, I know, you're thinking "hyperbole much". But this type of thing never happened with the Clippers. The prior really good Clippers teams (not counting when they were the Buffalo Braves) were built via the draft. The 1992-93 team made it to the playoffs and were led by Danny Manning. The team in 2005-06 got to the WC Semis led by Elton Brand. Of course, the "Lob City" team of 2011-17 made the playoffs every year and were led by Chris Paul. He wasn't a draft choice (although you could make the argument that Blake Griffin, who was a Clippers draft pick also led this team) but he also wasn't there by choice. We can chalk up those "L
Read more

L.A Lakers: Is LeBron James Still Superman?

-
Image
LeBron James has been the very best player of his generation, without a doubt. Will the 2019-20 season see a continuation of that dominance, or a decline? Buckets of superlatives. The G.O.A.T, the Chosen One, the King. The achievements . 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball, Rookie of Year, 3× NBA champion, 3× NBA Finals MVP, 4× NBA Most Valuable Player, 15× NBA All-Star and 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP. Mountains of pivotal moments, a plethora of historical debates about his greatness, place in history, physical attributes and social endeavors. Now in the twilight of his career, many have begun to question what Bron has left in the tank. Entering his 16th NBA season, LeBron James had just completed one of the greatest postseasons in NBA history with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The season began with the trade of fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics and was then interrupted by a complete overhaul of the team due to a series of  unprecedented mid-season trades . Finally the season concluded wi
Read more