There isn’t just one reason why the Sacramento Kings’ Game 1 showdown is one of the hottest tickets in NBA playoff history.
“It is kinda the perfect storm, as far as why this game is so expensive,” TickPick content strategy lead Kyle Zorn told Front Office Sports.
With an average purchase price of $668, Game 1 of the first-round showdown in Sacramento between the Kings and Golden State Warriors is the priciest NBA playoff ticket the online marketplace has ever tracked, excluding the NBA Finals.
It’s also the most expensive Kings home game on record and 603% pricier than the average purchase price of a Kings home ticket during the regular season ($95), per data provided to FOS.
The current get-in price stands at $379, and the most expensive purchase thus far is a whopping $2,496 for two tickets in the 100 level.
Zorn attributes the huge spike to several key factors.
The most obvious is the “pent-up demand” from the Sacramento faithful, who haven’t seen their team in the playoffs since 2006 — the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
The second is the matchup itself. The Warriors had the most expensive home ticket in the league this season, averaging $256 in the average purchase price, while the Kings ranked 13th.
With the two teams’ home arenas less than a two-hour drive from each other, the ease of access for fans is also increasing demand.
Saturday’s Warriors-Kings game tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
