The Four-Sport Price Check
Not all game days are created equal. An NFL Sunday and a Tuesday night MLB game are completely different experiences at completely different price points. We pulled data from all 124 teams across the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB to see how the four major sports stack up on cost.
The short version: football is expensive, baseball is cheap, and basketball and hockey land in the middle. But the details are more interesting than the headline.
Average Game Day Cost (One Person)
| Category | NFL | NBA | NHL | MLB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket (avg. resale) | $151 | $94 | $89 | $53 |
| Beer (domestic draft) | $12 | $11 | $11 | $8 |
| Hot dog | $6.50 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $4.50 |
| Parking | $45 | $28 | $27 | $22 |
| Rough total | $275 | $175 | $165 | $110 |
These are league-wide averages. Individual teams vary a lot. An Atlanta Falcons game day costs less than a lot of NBA and NHL games, and a Yankees game costs more than some NFL matchups.
Why NFL Costs the Most
It's simple economics. NFL teams play 8 or 9 home games a year. NBA teams play 41. MLB plays 81. Scarcity drives ticket prices up. Add in the tailgating culture (which adds food and drink spending before you even enter the stadium), the larger parking lots with higher fees, and the premium concession pricing, and you get the most expensive game day in sports by a wide margin.
The upside: because each game feels like an event, the atmosphere usually delivers more intensity per dollar.
Why MLB Is the Cheapest
81 home games means a lot of supply. Tuesday night games against non-contending teams can cost under $10 on the secondary market. Ballpark food is generally cheaper than other sports (smaller venues, more competition among vendors), and many parks are accessible by transit, which cuts parking costs.
The downside: the atmosphere at a poorly attended midweek game is, well, quiet. You're getting what you pay for.
The NBA vs. NHL Middle Ground
Basketball and hockey land in a similar price range, which makes sense. Both play 41 home games. Both play in similar-sized arenas (17,000 to 21,000 capacity). Both have similar concession setups.
The differences are at the margins:
- NHL arenas tend to be slightly cheaper for food and drinks in most markets
- NBA has a wider ticket price range. A Knicks game costs 3x what a Grizzlies game costs. The NHL range is smaller
- NBA has more premium/courtside demand from celebrities and corporate buyers, which skews the average up
Cost by City (Same City, Different Sports)
This is where it gets interesting. In cities with teams in multiple leagues, you can compare the experience dollar-for-dollar:
New York
Chicago
- Bears game day: ~$285
- Bulls game day: ~$160
- Blackhawks game day: ~$155
- Cubs game day: ~$120
Los Angeles
Denver
Best Value Across All Sports
If you want the best experience for the least money, these are the standouts:
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium has NFL food at MLB prices. $2 hot dogs and $5 beer
- Fiserv Forum gives you a great arena and affordable tickets in a fun city
- PNC Park has cheap tickets, the best view in baseball, and Pittsburgh food
- Amerant Bank Arena offers some of the cheapest NHL tickets in the league
- Petco Park combines perfect weather, good food, and reasonable prices
Tools for Planning
- Game Day Cost Calculator estimates your total for any team in any sport
- Game Day Price Index sorts all 124 teams by specific cost categories
- Compare Teams puts any two teams side by side
- League-specific rankings: NFL | NBA | NHL | MLB