One would think with the advancement that is being made in technology that more sports fans would be foregoing the live in-person game experience to sit at home comfortably in front of their 85″ televisions. Think about it – the comfort of your couch, refrigerator 10 feet away, no traffic, no stadium crowds, no ridiculous hot dog prices – it’s perfect, right? Well, not really. Regardless of the fact that you can equip yourself with a 3D television, surround sound and all the refreshments in the world, people are still paying the big bucks to attend games in-person.
Speaking of big bucks…. Not all ticket prices are created equal. You want to catch a Thursday afternoon MLB game you’re probably going to get in pretty cheap. On the other hand, if you want to catch a football game, World Cup match, or major tournament in person you’re going to be shelling out some serious cash. All depends what your preference is, but if you’re into seeing events live and have some cash – these tickets might be right up your ally. For most, it’s just a fascination to see what people would pay…
Check out the 15 Most Expensive Sports Tickets for 2014…..
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2014 NCAA Tournament Final (Arlington, Texas) – $650
March Madness is also March money. The 2014 NCAA Tournament drew a whipping $1.15 billion in ad revenue making ticket revenues, as great as they may be, virtually pointless (even though they were far from it). While there close to 60 games on total the Final is the real money maker. The average ticket for the final between the University of Kentucky vs. University of Connecticut drew a cool $650 – worth every penny for UCONN fans!
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LSU vs. Alabama (Baton Rouge, Lousiana) – $699
The second highest ticket price starts a run of college football phenomenon. Remember when we’re producing this list it’s average ticket price so the your regular season NFL, MLB, NHL or NBA games don’t fetch a high average price because 3 out of the 4 have some pretty cheap seats. College football…. not so much. The big games are in high demand and because of that their average ticket price is through the roof. The LSU vs. Alabama rivalry has really picked up a lot of steam after 2000 because both teams were consistently the best in the country.
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Ohio State vs. Michigan (Columbus, Ohio) – $727
One of the greatest rivalries in the history of college football, Ohio State and Michigan is quite the ticket. Perhaps one of the most in-demand tickets each year you better be prepared to pay a hefty fee to see the game. This season’s game could prove to be for the Big 10 title. You better believe as this game draws closer those ticket prices are going to keep climbing. Could this be Urban Meyer’s first regular season loss as coach of Ohio State?
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Texas vs. UCLA (Arlington, Texas) – $770
LSU vs. Alabama and Ohio State vs. Michigan are two of the top rivalries in all of college football. Texas vs. UCLA isn’t of the same caliber, but the uniqueness of the match-up and profile of each team going into the 2014 season have made this game one of the hottest tickets in the sport. Outside of regular year-to-year rivalries you’re always going to have a few games each year that bring in a pretty penny.
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Formula 1 Grand Prix (Monaco) – $950
Most red-blooded Americans aren’t too familiar with Grand Prix races, which have been a part of the FIA World Championships since its inception in 1950. The events are held all throughout the world, but perhaps the most famous event is the one that takes place in the uber-wealthy land of Monaco. The Monaco Grand Prix is widely-considered to be the most-prestigous and important auto races int he world. You know what that means – money.
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2014 Masters – $1,000
The most publicized of the four major tournaments in golf, The Masters has a rich tradition. Unlike all the other major tournaments, The Masters is held each year at the famed Augusta National Golf Club. The event, aside from it’s popularity, is really suited for the uber-wealthy. If you want to go to the Masters for the dour days you’re looking at spending several thousand dollars. In professional golf, The Masters is the end-all-be-all. You’re going to pay to see this one (or even set foot on the golf course for that matter).
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2014 World Series – $1,000
This is more of a speculative call because of the success of the 2013 World Series. Remember this list is for 2014 and in a couple months the 2014 World Series is going to be played by two teams yet to be determined. Last year, tickets at Fenway were well over a thousand dollars for most of the park. The average leveled it out a bit, but you can be sure that this year is going to be no different. The Red Sox aren’t going to be in the World Series, but the price should still be through the roof.
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2014 NBA Finals – $1098
The 1%’ers pay a ridiculous amount of money to sit courtside at the NBA Finals. The rest of us still have to pay a lot of money, but not as much as the tens of thousands of dollars the courtside seats cost. This year’s final was a particular strong one in terms of ticket revenue for the losing Miami Heat. Those rich South Beachers will pay ridiculous amounts to see the Heat and that’s what they did this year. The Miami Heat home games in the finals were some of the most expensive in the history of the league.
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Derek Jeter’s Final Home Game – (Bronx, New York) – $1,153
Let the moans and groans begin! Derek Jeter could run for mayor of New York tomorrow and win. He could go to Boston and be tar and feathered. For the people of New York who have had the privilege of watching the Captain for the past two decades his final game this season means more than most can imagine. Now the ticket prices are ridiculous, but they’re almost worth it for the career that Jeter has put together. It’s been an honor and privilege to watch #2 go to work each day.
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2014 Stanley Cup Finals – $1,250
A Stanley Cup in Madison Square Garden is a momentous occasion. The Rangers in the finals is going to bring out the big bucks from the New York supporters. One of the most interesting facts about this year’s Stanley Cup aside from the fact the Rangers were done before it started was the fact the ticket prices were amazingly more expensive at MSG than Los Angeles. It’s common sense they were going to be more, but the nearly double average price when both are huge wealthy markets was shocking.
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Mayweather vs. Maidana (Las Vegas, Nevada) – $1,525
Floyd Mayweather makes no bones about flaunting his wealth. The guy has earned some of the most ridiculous pay days in the history of boxing. The pay-per-view price is high as it is now imagine sitting ringside. The Maidana fight wasn’t anything special either, but in 2014 this average ticket price was by far the most in the sport and one of the highest of all sports. Say what you want about Floyd Mayweather, but the guy makes money – for himself and for the sport.
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2014 Super Bowl XLVIII – $3,715
If you were playing Family Feud and the question was “Name the most expensive sports tickets” my guess would be the Super Bowl and I think 9 out of 10 Americans would answer the same way. It doesn’t matter where America’s most popular sport’s championship is being played the tickets are going to be ridiculous. The Super Bowl isn’t just a game, it’s a weekend experience. You’re going to pay the piper for it – even if you’re in the nose bleed.
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UEFA Champions League Final (Lisbon, Portugal) – $3,900
Perhaps the most surprising (and I have to use the disclaimer that I’m American) is the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. The average price per ticket was astonishingly high. We know that soccer is the world’s most popular sport, but it’s hard to imaging paying $3,900 for a ticket to the match. The match was exciting as can be so it may have been worth the price of admission.
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Wimbledon Finals – $4,421
Let’s start by saying that the All England Club in London just sounds expensive. One of the four grand slam tournaments in tennis, Wimbledon perhaps is the most storied in the history of the sport. As great as the tournament is this is more about the royal attendees and the eating of strawberries and cream at the tournament. It’s a major sporting event for a high end country club fan base.
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2014 World Cup Final – $5,956
This year was a special year because the World Cup fell in 2014. There’s not much else to say except it’s the world’s most popular sport and it’s once every four years. The World Cup Final tickets are ridiculously priced. In fact, we could easily put the quarterfinals ($1,550) and semifinals ($3,300) on this list, but we think the #1 slot for the World Cup Final does the tournament justice. Germany fans traveled across the pond to pay close to $6,000 for a ticket and Argentina fans crossed the border to do the same. In the end, the Germans won and perhaps justified the expensive… or did it?
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