Ticketing Trends Archives - TicketNetwork Blog

2016 NBA Finals Set to Kick Off, Ticket Prices Remain Similar to Last Year

June 2, 2016 by Jordan

The NBA Finals kickoff tonight at 9:00PM ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA, where the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will face off in a rematch of last year’s Finals. Though back-to-back NBA Finals rematches aren’t an extremely rare occurrence, (it’s happened 14 times, most recently in 2013 and 2014 with the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs) it’s a great opportunity to compare NBA Finals ticket prices year over year.

Taking a look at data from the TicketNetwork Exchange, average ticket prices for the 2016 Finals aren’t too different from last year’s. Last season, fans paid $1,071 per ticket, on average, to see the two teams faceoff, while fans are paying an average price of $1,161 to see the teams compete in the 2016 NBA Finals, a difference of only $90.

However, ticket prices to see the Cavaliers play in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena are down compared to last year, while the average ticket price to see the Warriors play at home is up. In 2015, Cavaliers fans paid $1,063 per ticket, on average, to see the two teams play in Cleveland, but in 2016, that average ticket price has dropped almost $200, to $880.

That’s a stark difference to ticketing trends in the Bay Area, where fans are paying an average ticket price of $1,600 to see Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors take on LeBron and the Cavs at Oracle Arena. That’s over $500 more per ticket than last year’s NBA Finals, when the average ticket price at Oracle Arena was $1,087.

There is also a vast difference in ticket prices when looking at a game-by-game breakdown between the 2015 and 2016 Finals. Both years, Oracle Arena has hosted games one, two, five, and seven thanks to the Warriors’ home court advantage. While ticket prices remain relatively similar year over year for games one, two, three, and four, there was a stark difference for games five, six, and seven. Ticket prices for games five (Oracle Arena) and game six (Quicken Loans Arena) more than doubled in 2016, and in the case of game six, the average price of tickets almost tripled ($964 in 2015, up to $2,436 in 2016).

While the average ticket price for the 2016 NBA Finals have fallen in Cleveland, there is still plenty of demand, as fans are hoping James, Irving, and Love can bring a championship to a city that hasn’t won a sports title since the Browns won the NFL Championship Game over a half-century ago. The increased price of tickets for games at Oracle Arena can be at least partly credited to the Warriors chance of winning the NBA Finals after finishing the regular season with the best-ever regular season record in the NBA.

With a rematch of the ages about to begin, fans who purchased tickets for any of the games during The Finals are sure to witness a historic basketball series.

Ticket Demand for 2016 Indianapolis 500 increased by nearly 70% over 2015

May 27, 2016 by Ticketnetwork Blog

The 2016 Indianapolis 500 is just around the corner and there’s no shortage of buzz surrounding this year’s big race! Check out what’s new in 2016 along with Indy 500 information and a breakdown of qualifying procedures. You’ll impress your friends and sound like an IndyCar expert on raceday!

The Indianapolis 500 is more popular than ever and ticket demand for the upcoming race is through the roof! Reserved seats sold out for the first time in 25 years and the average resale price for a ticket to the Indianapolis 500 has increased by nearly 70% over 2015, according to TicketNetwork.*

TicketNetwork Data

Why is this year’s Indianapolis 500 special? Besides the fact 2016 mark’s the 100th running, Katherine Legge along with Grace Autosport will become the first ever all-female racing team to compete at the prestigious event! IndyCar officials have also made some interesting alterations this year. The new rules along with changes to the already rigorous qualifying procedures will undoubtedly alter each team’s strategy this weekend. The most notable modifications are to the Honda aero-kit parameters and teams with Chevrolet engines will no longer be able to use the fuel additive (HiTec 6590). IndyCar officials are certainly not taking it easy on newcomers either. Rookie drivers will have to complete each of the three qualifying phase’s with a minimum speed requirement average 5 mph faster than last year.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Map:

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Address:
4790 W 16th St
Indianapolis, IN 46222
United States of America

What is the Indianapolis 500?

The Indianapolis 500 or “Indy 500” is the premiere IndyCar racing event held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana over Memorial Day weekend. The Indy 500 is one of the Triple Crowns of Motorsports and consists of 33 drivers competing for a $2.5 million first place prize. Drivers endure 200 laps, covering 500 miles and that’s not even counting practice and qualifying. IndyCars average speeds have been clocked at over 230 mph at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, significantly faster than their NASCAR counterparts (188.8 mph). Official attendance numbers are not released by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, however estimates including infield spectators on race-day is reported to reach 300,000.

2016 Indianapolis 500 Rule Changes:

Rookie orientation increased by 5 mph for all three phases of qualifying.
Push-to-pass boost increase (approx. 20+ horsepower)
All engines must use Sunoco E85R fuel and Chevrolet’s will no longer be allowed to use the HiTec 6590 fuel additive.
Honda aero-kit must include the chassis center line wicker.
Minimum car weight increased by 30 lbs.
Pitlane speed limit decreased from 60 to 50 mph.
Domed skid plates are mandatory.

How do drivers qualify for the Indianapolis 500?

Indianapolis 500 qualification procedures are unique from the standard IndyCar procedures with two additional phases (Sunday Qualification and the Fast Nine Shootout). Drivers must be one of the nine fastest times on Saturday to earn a chance to win the pole position in the Fast Nine Shootout. The rest of the field will fight for positions 10-33 in a separate Sunday qualifying segment.

Saturday Qualification (All)
The order for qualifying is selected with a blind draw before the start of qualification day. The four fastest lap times for each car is averaged to determine the order for Sunday qualifying with the fastest nine advancing to the Fast Nine Shootout.

Sunday Qualification (Positions 10-33)
Positions 10-33 as determined by Saturday’s four fastest lap average will qualify in reverse order. Times are reset and all racecars must complete at least four-laps to determine their starting position on race day.

Fast Nine Shootout (Positions 1-9)
The fastest nine cars as determined by Saturday qualification times are guaranteed a top nine starting position on race day. The order for this segment is determined by Saturdays lap time average and run in reverse order. For this phase, times are reset and positions 1-9 on race day are determined by the fastest four-lap average during this segment.

2016 Indianapolis 500 Information:

Race Day:	Sunday, May 29, 2016
Network:	ABC
Pace Car:	Chevrolet Camaro
Pace Car Driver:	Roger Penske
Defending Champion:	Juan Pablo Montoya
National Anthem:	Darius Rucker
Attendance:	Approx. 300,0000 (including infield)

2016 NBA Playoff Ticket Price Trends

May 17, 2016 by Jordan

With the 2016 NBA Playoffs in full swing, we decided to take a look at some of the more interesting ticket pricing trends for this year’s postseason games, which you can view for yourself with the interactive graph below. Under the graph are the most interesting takeaways we noticed from this year’s postseason.

Difference in Ticket Prices Between Top Tier Teams and Lower Tier Teams

The first tendency we noticed was the difference in ticket prices between matchups featuring at least one top tier team, compared to matchups consisting of two lower tier teams. For example, tickets to see the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics compete in the first round of the playoffs were never listed for a higher average price of $309. And that list price of $309, which was for game six didn’t last long, as ticket prices fell from $309 on April 2 to $211 on April 28.

However, on the other end of the spectrum, tickets for game 7 between the 2015 NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers in round two were listed for a staggering average price of $1,455 on April 2. Although there was a decline in prices for the game, with ticket prices decreasing to $969 on May 10, it was still $660 more expensive than the highest average ticket price in the Hawks vs Celtics series.

The Earlier You Buy Tickets, the More You’re Going to Pay (Usually)

Another tendency that was present for most series’ is that the longer ahead of time tickets were listed for a game, the more expensive they were. As games got closer, ticket prices dropped. This trend proved true for almost every series played so far in the NBA Playoffs.

That said, there were a couple of exceptions. Tickets for the first round series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers dropped slightly after they were first listed, but then rose for games three, four, five, and six. Ticket prices for the series between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets took less of a dip than for most series, and ticket prices for game seven of that series actually rose from $360 on April 2 to $428 on April 20, before falling to $280 on May 1.

City Matters

In some cases, cities in which games were being played in also had an immense effect on ticket prices. This was evident in the two rounds the San Antonio Spurs played in before being eliminated. Taking on the Memphis Grizzlies in round one, the average ticket price for games in San Antonio never rose higher than $268, while ticket prices for the two games played in Memphis peaked at $599 and $585. After defeating Memphis in four games, the Spurs moved on to play the Oklahoma City Thunder, where ticket trends remained similar. The highest average list price for tickets in San Antonio was $590, which was for game seven, while the average list prices for the three games in Oklahoma City all peaked around $700.

Another matchup where ticket prices saw a large difference depending on city was the first round matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks. In that series, the average ticket price for games one and two in Cleveland peaked at $289 and $311, respectively. In Atlanta, tickets for games three and four both peaked at $791.

Similar trends can also be found for the first round series played between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the Indiana Pacers.

With Brady’s Suspension Reinstated, Patriots Ticket Prices Decrease

April 26, 2016 by Jordan

Yesterday, a federal appeals court sided with the NFL and reinstated New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four game suspension stemming from the infamous “Deflategte” case. The suspension, which was originally imposed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last May, was nullified by federal judge Richard M. Berman days before the 2015 season kicked off. Now Brady will most likely be forced to miss the first four games of the 2016 season.

According to legal experts, Brady’s shot at having the suspension overturned for a second time is close to nil, and because of that, ticket prices for the Patriots’ first four games of the season have been decreasing, especially for the three Patriots home games set to take place during Weeks 2, 3, and 4. Ticket prices for the Patriots home game against the Miami Dolphins on September 18, as well as their home game against the Houston Texans on September 22 are both down 4.1 percent.

The most dramatic drop in ticket prices is for the Patriots’ game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on October 2. Prior to Brady’s suspension, the average listing price for tickets to that game was $605. Now that the suspension has been reinstated, the average list price for the game sits at $574, a decrease of just over 5 percent.

Though ticket prices have dropped 1.5 percent ( ticket prices only declined .1 percent for the one Patriots away game during Brady’s suspension) for the first four games of New England’s season, the opposite trend has occurred for ticket prices to the team’s remaining games. There is 2.1 percent increase in average listing price for the twelve regular season games following the conclusion of Brady’s suspension.

It should come as no surprise that the average price of Patriots tickets has decreased for the games Brady is set to miss in 2016. The same trend was evident last year, when Brady was originally suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season. From the time Brady’s original suspension was announced on May 11, 2015, ticket prices decreased throughout the offseason, eventually falling by 11%. If trends stay similar to last year, expect ticket prices for the Patriots’ first four games to keep falling.

Although New England is capable of winning games in 2016 without their starting quarterback, the Patriots just aren’t the Patriots without Tom Brady on the field. It seems that many fans would rather wait until his return to attend a game this upcoming season.

Tickets for Kobe’s Final Game at All Time High

April 8, 2016 by Jordan

It’s almost over for Kobe Bryant. After a 19-year career, the lifetime Laker who has earned 5 NBA championship rings, 2 Olympic Gold medals, and 18 NBA All-Star team selections, has four games left before he hangs up his jersey for good.

Although Kobe Bryant is essentially a shell of his former self, his legacy has forever been imprinted in the NBA. Because of that, basketball fans have been paying tribute to Bryant’s hall of fame career by flocking to games to see number 24 play in his final game in each city.

Three out of the four Laker’s remaining games are on the road, however, their final game of the season will take place at home for the Lakers on Wednesday, April 13. Although Kobe has been recognized in each city this year since he announced his retirement last November, nothing will be quite like his final game in front of the home crowd at Staples Center. And a game like no other demands ticket prices like no other.

According to data from the TicketNetwork.com exchange, tickets for Kobe’s final game are starting at $581 and are average at $628 each. Fans looking to sit courtside can expect to pay over $14,000 for a single ticket.*

Do Any Past Farewell Games Compare to Kobe’s Farewell Game?

The answer is yes. Ticket prices to Kobe’s final home game are similar to ticket prices for the final home game of former Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, which took place on September 25, 2014. For that game against the Baltimore Orioles, patrons were paying $421 on average to attend the game at Yankee Stadium. Though tickets to Derek’s final game averaged $207 less than tickets to Kobe’s final game, total sales for the two matches are fairly comparable.

In the end, many fans are willing to shell out big bucks to see their favorite player compete in their respective sport one final time. If you want to see The Black Mamba one final time, tickets for each of his final four games are still available. Click here to browse.

*Ticket sales data as of 4/8/2016 9:00 a.m. EDT. Trademarked terms are the property of their respective owners and are used strictly for descriptive purposes. TicketNetwork.com is an online ticket marketplace and is in no way affiliated with any of the trademark owners or the teams or venues mentioned.