Many sports fans will shell out an absurd amount of money for the chance to attend a big game, which has resulted in tickets fetching some absolutely wild prices on the secondary market courtesy of the hype surrounding those contests.
iStockphoto
It’s hard to top the atmosphere you’re treated to if you attend a highly-anticipated sporting event in person, and many fans are more than happy to pay a premium to be able to say they were in the building to watch a big game go down.
The rise of the internet has made it easier than ever for fans to buy (and sell) tickets while getting a firsthand lesson in the law of supply and demand, and it seems like the record for the highest average price for a single game is being broken on a yearly basis.
As a result, there’s a chance some of these contests end up being dethroned in the near future, but here’s how much the average spectator has shelled out to witness the most expensive game to attend in every major sport.
Before we kick things off, I should note I’m breaking the NFL into two distinct categories due to the exclusive (and outlandish) nature of the Super Bowl, but that’s the only organization getting that particular treatment.
NFL (Super Bowl): Chiefs vs. 49ers
James Lang-Imagn Images
Super Bowl LIX bucked a recent trend that had seen The Big Game repeatedly break the record that had been set the previous year, as people who watched the Eagles beat the Chiefs in New Orleans “only” paid around $6,554.
That was a significant decline from the previous year, as spectators at Super Bowl LVIII forked over an average of $12,128 to make it the most expensive NFL game in history.
NFL (Non-Super Bowl): Lions Vs. Commanders, 2025 NFC Divisional Game
Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It looked like the Lions were poised to make a deep run in the playoffs after finishing the 2024 season with a 15-2 record and clinching a bye that led to them kicking off the postseason at home against the Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round.
Washington ended up raining on the parade by pulling off the upset, which was an especially unfortunate development for the Detroit fans who paid an average of $991 to set a new mark to beat for NFL games that aren’t the Super Bowl.
College Football: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
There was little doubt the national championship showdown between Notre Dame and Ohio State was going to be a very hot ticket based on the popularity of those two college football powerhouses.
That ended up being the case, as the people who were in the building to watch the Buckeyes win a title with a 34-23 win over the Fighting Irish dropped an average of $2,637.
College Basketball (Men's): Coach K's Final Home Game At Duke
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
On March 5, 2022, Mike Krzyzewski coached his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium to bring an incredible 42-year era to an end in front of a rocking crowd that packed into the arena to bid him farewell as Duke hosted UNC.
One fan dropped $1 million for four courtside seats that sold for $250,000 a pop, which played a minor role in the contest becoming the most expensive basketball game to attend in the history of the sport thanks to tickets that sold for an average of $5,307.
Unfortunately, the Tar Heels put a damper on the celebration with an 81-77 win.
College Basketball (Women's): Caitlin Clark's Last Home Game At Iowa
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
You probably won’t be shocked to learn Caitlin Clark was responsible for the priciest ticket in the history of women’s college basketball when she played her final game at Iowa in front of a friendly crowd.
That showdown featured the No. 6 Hawkeyes facing off against N0. 2 Ohio State, and the superstar sent the fans who paid an average of $557 home happy by helping her team earn the 93-83 victory.
WNBA: Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese Part IV
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Clark is also partially responsible for the most expensive ticket in the history of the WNBA, which stemmed from her rivalry with fellow rookie Angel Reese.
The two of them had a history stretching back to their college days and faced off four times during their first year in the WNBA, with the last of those showdowns taking place when the Fever headed to Chicago to play the Sky on August 30, 2024.
Fans paid an average of $334 to attend, and they got to watch Clark drop a game-high 31 points while leading Indiana to a 100-81 win.
NBA: Celtics vs. Mavericks, 2024 NBA Finals Game 5
Peter Casey-Imagn Images
The average price of a ticket to any game of the NBA Finals showdown between the Celtics and the Mavericks was $1,660, with the $1,419 for Game 1 marking the low point of the series.
Demand had grown by the time Boston got the chance to clinch its first title since 2008 on home turf in Game 5, and the average fan spent $2,106 to see them do exactly that.
MLB: Cubs vs. Astros, Game 7 of the 2016 World Series
David Richard-Imagn Images
This is fairly ancient history compared to the rest of the games on this list, but it makes sense when you consider the Cubs had the chance to snap a 108-year World Series drought against the team now known as the Guardians after forcing a Game 7 in 2016.
The deciding contest was played in Cleveland, but it’s very safe to assume diehard members of the Chicago faithful played a role in the average ticket price skyrocketing to $2,919—an investment they had to feel much better about after the Cubs earned an 8-7 victory in extra innings.
NHL: Rangers vs. Panthers, 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The Rangers trail only the Maple Leafs when it comes to the highest average ticket price for a normal NHL game, and it’s hard to find a deal if you’re attending a showdown at Madison Square Garden.
That’s especially true when New York finds itself on the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final, which was the case when they faced off against the Panthers in 2024 for the right to represent the Eastern Conference.
I can’t find any data concerning the prices for individual games, but the Rangers did set a record when the average price to attend one of the contests at The World’s Most Famous Arena rose to $2,100.
MLS: Messi And Inter Miami vs. Los Angeles FC
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Lionel Messi may have been past his prime when he joined Inter Miami in 2023, but soccer fans were still willing to pay a pretty penny to see one of the greatest players of all time do his thing in person.
That was especially true when Messi’s MLS squad faced off against Los Angeles FC on August 30, 2023 in a game where the average person had to pay $690 to get their hands on a ticket.