By Rhonda
You can vacation in Italy, take a cruise around Greece, buy a pretty nice car, or choose to go to the Super Bowl. Scoring tickets to sports’ biggest spectacle will cost you thousands – there’s no getting around it. Sports fans love watching their favorite teams play in-person, but It’s not cheap to go to a professional sporting event and the reasons vary – including the rise in professional sports players’ salaries and the construction of expensive stadiums. Even if a ticket is somewhat affordable, getting in the door is just the beginning – parking, concessions, and souvenirs drive up the cost of the experience. You want to eat? Prepare to pay up. You wonder how the average Joe, like myself, can afford a game, especially when taking the family. Can the owners keep filling the seats?
Today’s prices prove that taking in a ball game isn’t a cost effective family event. The average cost for a family of four to attend a game, purchase food and drinks, park the car and come away with a baseball cap or two is $253, according to the 2021 MLB Fan Cost Index by Team Marketing Report group, and that’s really the bare minimum. The costs differ depending on the stadium. I just took my kids to a Yankees game and I was out much more than that and we sat in the outfield bleachers.
Domain Stadium gives Adelaide Oval a run for its money on food prices: $9.50 wine, $12.50 pork roll, $5.20 choc bar. pic.twitter.com/Yo8ZNPyw7z
— AFL Fans Association (@FansAFL) July 12, 2016
If you are a NFL fan, prepare to drop your wallet. According to the NFL Fan Cost Index, the cost of a family of four to attend a National Football League game in the 2021 season is $568.18, but again, that varies from stadium to stadium. You want to go see the Raiders? The average ticket price is $153.47 and the cost of two beers, two hot dogs and two t-shirts is $136. Ouch! It’s different if you have the money, but if you are an average middle class family, you feel the hit. Most households making $75,000 or more a year live paycheck to paycheck, so dropping $500+ on a game hurts.
You want to take the family to a hockey game? A NBA game? Same story. The average ticket price in 2022 for a NHL game is $94, which means a family of four will pay approximately $376 and that’s before all the goodies – food, drink, parking, etc. According to data for SeatGeek, you’ll pay the same average price for NBA games, but if you want a high-profile team like the Lakers, that price goes up significantly to $159 on average.
What about another option? Pro sports are not the only game in town and most sporting events are fun for kids whether they are watching the superstars or the minor-leaguers. Let’s focus on baseball. Minor League Baseball (MiLB) remains a budget-friendly entertainment option for a family and it’s loads of fun. Even kids who love baseball may find it difficult to sit around for the whole game, especially during the breaks between innings. Many MiLB stadiums have kids centers. You won’t find that at Dodger stadium. Many charge a one-time fee for discounted or free tickets to games and other benefits. One example is the Clearwater Threshers’ Lil’ Anglers, which offers children free tickets, deals on food, and time on the field to play catch with their parents before the game.
To further my case, MiLB games are loads of fun for other reasons. You’ll get closer to the action and it won’t kill your wallet. The food at MiLB parks is legendary. Pulled pork parfait anyone? The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies offer one for about $7. There are 159 minor league teams in the U.S. and one team in Vancouver, British Columbia; compare that to just 30 major league teams in the U.S. and Canada – there is a lot to see and they are all unique. There are a lot of promos and activities before and after the game. Like fireworks? Many teams, like the Staten Island Yankees and the Lakewood Blueclaws, operate weekly post game fireworks. It’s also easier to get player autographs and what kid doesn’t love that?
In conclusion, there are other options and as prices keep escalating for sporting events, there is going to be a constant crisis of empty seats. Just tune into a pro sporting event, you will see a lot of no one in the seats. Tickets are more and more expensive and people have a shorter attention span on top of it all. Can sports teams and stakeholders do anything to reverse the dwindling attendance numbers? I think they are going to have to really market and revolutionize their fan bases. Bring the fans to the game! Sell the game day experience – seeing their favorite players, tailgating, the cheering/the booing.
They are going to market big time because everyone has their reasons to stay home, and those decisions add up. Attendance has been on the decline due to rising prices and covid didn’t help, and let’s be honest, watching it on your couch is much cheaper and more comfortable.
