Image Credit: Sean Davis (CC BY-ND 2.0)
The 'Fan Cost Index' is the amount of money a family of four could expect to spend at an NBA game. It fluctuates from season to season, varies by team and city and is calculated from a number of factors. First, you take the price of 4 average-priced NBA season tickets, the two cheapest draft beers, the four cheapest soft drinks, four regular sized hot dogs, parking for one car, two game programs and two adult hats from the team's gift shop. Add all of those numbers together and you've got yourself the total fan cost index.
Here is how all 30 NBA teams stacked up against each for the previous NBA season (2013-2014). As you can see, the two wealthiest NBA franchises had the highest total fan cost index for the past two seasons (New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers). Three of the leagues newest members battled for the cheapest NBA experience; the Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Bobcats and New Orleans Pelicans.
2013-2014
|
Team |
Average Ticket Price |
Average Beer Price |
Average Price for Parking |
Total Fan Cost Index |
|
$129.38 |
$8.75 |
$30.00 |
$659.92 |
|
|
$102.25 |
$8.50 |
$25.00 |
$542.00 |
|
|
3. Miami Heat |
$78.30 |
$8.00 |
$35.00 |
$472.20 |
|
$77.65 |
$7.50 |
$25.00 |
$456.60 |
|
|
$72.64 |
$8.25 |
$38.00 |
$434.96 |
|
|
$65.55 |
$8.50 |
$25.00 |
$395.20 |
|
|
$60.50 |
$8.50 |
$17.00 |
$382.00 |
|
|
8. Phoenix Suns |
$57.23 |
$9.00 |
$12.00 |
$344.92 |
|
$57.25 |
$5.00 |
$15.00 |
$339.00 |
|
|
10. Houston Rockets |
$57.15 |
$7.25 |
$15.00 |
$336.06 |
|
NBA League Average |
$52.50 |
$7.41 |
$16.81 |
$326.60 |
|
$44.27 |
$7.00 |
$25.00 |
$324.08 |
|
|
12. Toronto Raptors |
$48.70 |
$6.98 |
$19.19 |
$321.63 |
|
13. Dallas Mavericks |
$51.80 |
$6.00 |
$20.00 |
$321.18 |
|
14. Denver Nuggets |
$53.15 |
$6.75 |
$10.00 |
$319.10 |
|
15. Milwaukee Bucks |
$47.70 |
$6.25 |
$18.00 |
$309.30 |
|
$51.30 |
$7.00 |
$13.00 |
$308.18 |
|
|
$51.35 |
$5.00 |
$10.00 |
$295.40 |
|
|
18. Utah Jazz |
$44.50 |
$7.50 |
$10.00 |
$280.98 |
|
$35.50 |
$9.50 |
$15.00 |
$273.98 |
|
|
$43.31 |
$7.25 |
$10.00 |
$271.74 |
|
|
21. Sacramento Kings |
$43.32 |
$7.00 |
$10.00 |
$268.28 |
|
$39.25 |
$8.25 |
$12.00 |
$266.40 |
|
|
23. Orlando Magic |
$39.40 |
$5.75 |
$10.00 |
$263.10 |
|
24. Detroit Pistons |
$40.10 |
$9.00 |
$10.00 |
$262.40 |
|
$30.31 |
$8.00 |
$20.00 |
$249.22 |
|
|
26. Atlanta Hawks |
$35.26 |
$7.50 |
$10.00 |
$240.04 |
|
27. Indiana Pacers |
$31.62 |
$7.25 |
$10.00 |
$227.36 |
|
$30.04 |
$7.50 |
$15.00 |
$212.16 |
|
|
$26.87 |
$7.00 |
$15.00 |
$208.48 |
|
|
$29.27 |
$6.50 |
$5.00 |
$203.06 |
Related Articles
- Fan Cost Index for the 2014-2015 NBA Season
- Understanding The "Fan Cost Index"
- Planning Your Trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- 2014-2015 NBA Team Salaries and Payroll
- 2013-2014 NBA Team Salaries and Payroll
- 2012-2013 NBA Team Salaries and Payroll
