No matter whether you’re a fan of the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB, something all the major league teams have in common is that being a dedicated sports fan comes with a price tag. But exactly which major league teams are making fans pay out the most?
Well, after comparing the cost of being a fan of each team according to the official Fan Cost Index in 2012 and 2022, we’re able to reveal the "major league bank breakers."
What is the Fan Cost Index? To put it simply, the fan cost index is the total cost of taking a family of four to a sporting event. Specifically, FCI comprises the prices of four average-price tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, parking for one hour, two game programs and the two least-expensive, adult-size adjustable caps.
Curious how much your favorite team has increased their prices? Just read on to find out as we take a brief break from Texas sports betting.
Which Teams Have Increased their Prices The Most?
Topping the list due to charging fans 183.8% more than a decade ago, we have the Golden State Warriors.
Essentials for a family day out to a game now total a staggering $740.08, compared to the much more reasonable price of $260.90 back in 2012. This sharp increase can in large part be due to both the opening of the beyond fancy Chase Center in 2019, plus the exploits of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green establishing the Warriors as the latest NBA dynasty.
In second are the Las Vegas Raiders, who expect fans to splash out 93.3% more than they did a decade ago. A family gameday experience at Allegiant Stadium (opened in 2020) now costs $738.36, compared to only $381.90 ten years ago at Oakland Coliseum.
Texas’ very own Houston Rockets round out the top three teams, after an increase of 89% for gameday necessities. What fans could originally grab for $299.28 at the Toyota Center now totals $565.52, which is a rather large increase considering the team’s biggest success in the last ten years has been winning a few division titles. Everything's bigger in Texas?
What About Other Texas Teams?
While no other Texas-based major league teams appear in the overall top 10, you might still be wondering just how much more your favorite team is charging for the gameday experience compared to a decade ago.
Fans of the Houston Astros, who have won 2 World Series titles since 2012, won’t be pleased to hear that they’re actually shelling out 58.1% more than they were in 2012. Back then, a typical family of four could get everything they needed for just $224.33. Now costing $354.72 for all the same things, this actually makes the Astros one of the most-expensive MLB teams to support.
Next up are the Texas Rangers, who are asking fans to spend 50.8% more than just a decade ago (and they have very much not won a World Series title in that time frame). The average family gameday experience (including all the essentials) now adds up to $277.31, compared to $183.93 in 2012.
In 2012, Dallas Mavericks supporters taking their family to a game could get everything they needed for $321.18, which has risen to $477.09, up by 48.5%. Not far behind are the Dallas Stars, with their fans forking out 47.4% more than in the past, upping the previous cost of $258.35 to $380.70.
Neither the best nor worst, the average family going to a Houston Texans game will end up spending 38% more than they did ten years ago, an increase of $166.87. The typical gameday experience was already far from the cheapest ($439.02), and this has only risen further to $605.89.
San Antonio Spurs supporters are unlikely to notice their wallets shrinking, as prices have only increased by 10.9%.
Meanwhile, it’s a very different story for fans of the Dallas Cowboys, who are actually paying less now than compared to ten years ago! Down by 5.2%, families can get everything they need for $601.51, which in 2012 would have cost $634.78. However, maybe this is more reflective of the fact that the Cowboys were charging too much back in 2012.
Over the last decade, rising costs have impacted all aspects of life, and it’s clear to see that this is also the case for major league sports - if not perhaps even more so.
Methodology
To create the rankings, we acquired Fan Cost Index data for 2012 and 2022 (the most recent available data). With this data, we identified which teams have experienced the biggest rise in prices over the last decade.
*The Fan Cost Index comprises the prices of four average-price tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, parking for one hour, two game programs and the two least-expensive, adult-size adjustable caps.
