Star Power Sells: Mahomes-Allen Showdown, NBA Cup
The NFL and NBA don’t share many similarities between the sidelines. But this week, the two leagues definitely have something in common when it comes to driving demand from fans: marquee matchups and star power.
The NFL playoff picture is starting to come into focus in Week 11, and the biggest game of the week—and maybe the biggest game of the NFL regular season—is the eighth battle between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
The NBA campaign has just gotten underway, but the second-ever in-season tournament tipped off this week, including a Friday night Lakers–Spurs showdown between No. 1 NBA draft picks separated by two decades.
Front Office Sports takes you through the biggest ticketing storylines on the gridiron and hardwood to show just how all these headliners are impacting purchase prices according to data from TickPick, a leading North American ticket marketplace.
Mahomes vs Allen, Part VIII
From 2001 to 2015, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning met 17 times to form arguably the greatest quarterback rivalry in NFL history. Since 2020, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomesn have taken the baton, with the Bills’ QB taking three of four in the regular season, and the Chiefs’ QB winning all three of their postseason matchups.
Their eighth meeting Sunday in Buffalo is not only the leading candidate for game of the year, but also a possible AFC championship preview: Kansas City (9–0) is the current one-seed, while Buffalo (8–2) is No. 2.
That is all reflected in the ticket prices. According to TickPick, the current get-in price is $321—57% higher than the Bills’ next home game against the reigning NFC champion 49ers ($204)—while the $481 average purchase price is a 40% increase since the season started ($345).
The NBA Cup Is Filled With Stars
The opening round of the NBA cup was propelled by massive star power, and several contests saw massive ticket-price jumps.
Knicks-Sixers
On Tuesday, Joel Embiid made his highly anticipated season debut in Philadelphia, going head-to-head with Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns. The divisional rivals are only a few months removed from a dramatic six-game playoff series, which New York won. According to TickPick, the get-in price was $35—250% more expensive than the Sixers’ next home game against the Cavaliers ($10).
Mavericks-Warriors
Later that night, two of the NBA’s biggest superstars in Steph Curry and Luka Dončić faced off in San Francisco in a game that came down to the wire. In Klay Thompson’s return to The Bay, it was Curry who stole the show, scoring 37 points—including Golden State’s final 12—to seal a victory over Dallas.
It makes sense that, according to TickPick, it was the most expensive NBA game of the week with an average purchase price of $298. The get-in price was $171—74% more expensive than the Warriors’ next home game against the Grizzlies ($98).
Lakers-Spurs
The most eye-popping single-game increase is Friday’s Western Conference battle between the Lakers and Spurs in San Antonio. According to TickPick, the current get-in price of the Lakers–Spurs NBA Cup game is $81—406% more expensive than the Spurs’ next home tournament game against the Thunder ($16).
For a chance to see the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer LeBron James and 20-year-old Victor Wembanyama, the average purchase price is $203—the eighth-most-expensive NBA game of the week.
The Get-In: $50 or Less
Star-watching may be driving up prices for some games this week, but for fans hungry to get a glimpse of NFL and NBA action while saving, tickets aren’t always bank-breaking. You can get through the door for less than $50 for these events.
