We’re almost a quarter way through the 2015-16 NBA season and the Warriors haven’t lost yet. 20 games up and 20 wins in the record books. Not only are the Warriors fun to watch, they’re also good, really good.
Because of that (and a few other factors like having Stephen Curry), fans want to see the Warriors in action. According to Brad Tuttle of Time, when Golden State hits the road, tickets can be 10 times as expensive. This is called the “Warriors Effect”:
The Warriors Effect is most visibly on display, however, when the team is the visitor, playing in supposedly unfriendly arenas around the country. For example, on StubHub, home game tickets for the woeful 5-13 Brooklyn Nets are routinely available for a mere $15 or $20. When matched up against particularly unexciting opponents, like the Philadelphia 76ers on December 10, Nets home tickets on the secondary market start at only $11.
But on Sunday, December 6, when the Warriors take on the Nets in Brooklyn, the cheapest seat in the house is going for over $100. At StubHub, the get-in price as of Friday was $113, while over at Vivid Seats, the cheapest seat offered was $131.
Likewise, tickets for many Indiana Pacers games in the near future are available on the secondary for $7 or so. When the Warriors visit next Tuesday, though, fans should expect to pay at least $45 or $50. Same goes for the Boston Celtics: Tickets start at $16 or $17 when the Pacers or Pistons are in town in the coming weeks, but are over $100 when the Warriors swing by next Friday.
If there’s a “cheap” ticket out there to see the Warriors, it could be when the Milwaukee Bucks play host to the world champs on Saturday, Dec. 12. Tickets are posted on Vivid Seats for as little as $38. Then again, everything’s relative. For some other Bucks home games, tickets are going for a mere $5.
It makes complete sense. When you have the best player in the league and the best team play, the fans will flock to come and watch. Now a global attraction, the Dubs have built more than just a championship team, they’ve built a face and personality that fans engage with.