The Sacramento Kings’ first home game is tonight at Golden 1 Center, and if you’re planning to make it a full family outing, the bill adds up fast.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. against the Portland Trial Blazers, and while hopes for a playoff run “hopefully” aren’t exactly sky-high, there’s still plenty of interest in what a night at the arena will cost. For a lot of California families, that question matters just as much as the score.
According to a recent Roto Wire analysis cited by The Sacramento Bee earlier this month, the Kings have the 16th highest-priced tickets in the NBA. The average family of four would pay $279.70 for a game, based on four SeatGeek tickets plus parking, two beers, two sodas and four hotdogs.
That figure sits 18% below the NBA average of $343.18 for a family of four. It also makes Sacramento the cheapest ticket option among California’s four NBA teams.
The larger picture is hard to ignore. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says admission to sporting events has climbed 123% since 2000, while overall consumer prices are up 87% over the same stretch.
For Kings fans looking for a cheaper way in, the numbers are a little friendlier. Cheap seats at Golden 1 Center average $48.68 apiece, which is 23% below the league average of $63.17. The lowest-priced single ticket this season is $25 for the Nov. 10 game against the Orlando Magic.
And then there’s the premium end of the calendar. The most expensive game on the Kings’ home schedule is Dec. 29, when LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers come to Sacramento. The cheapest seat for that matchup is $144, about three times the usual Kings ticket.
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