Image Credit: Jeramey Jannene (CC BY 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 current NBA season (2014-2015). 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). The Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans offered basketball fans some of the best bargains in all of professional sports. This often shows that the younger professional basketball franchises struggle to find stability in it's fan base.
2014-2015
Team |
Average Ticket Price |
Average Beer Price |
Average Price for Parking |
Total Fan Cost Index |
$129.38 |
$10.50 |
$30.00 |
$676.42 |
|
$102.25 |
$8.50 |
$25.00 |
$541.00 |
|
$82.33 |
$8.00 |
$24.00 |
$477.32 |
|
4. Miami Heat |
$78.30 |
$8.00 |
$35.00 |
$468.20 |
$70.79 |
$8.50 |
$42.00 |
$444.16 |
|
$78.43 |
$8.50 |
$25.00 |
$435.72 |
|
$66.15 |
$8.50 |
$17.00 |
$404.60 |
|
$65.60 |
$7.25 |
$15.00 |
$369.86 |
|
9. Phoenix Suns |
$56.10 |
$10.25 |
$12.00 |
$341.90 |
$58.65 |
$5.50 |
$5.00 |
$340.60 |
|
$47.38 |
$7.00 |
$25.00 |
$336.52 |
|
NBA League Average |
$53.98 |
$7.45 |
$17.11 |
$333.58 |
12. Milwaukee Bucks |
$50.30 |
$6.50 |
$22.65 |
$325.85 |
13. Denver Nuggets |
$54.00 |
$6.75 |
$10.00 |
$322.50 |
$52.90 |
$7.00 |
$15.50 |
$317.08 |
|
15. Dallas Mavericks |
$51.80 |
$6.00 |
$15.00 |
$312.20 |
$51.35 |
$5.00 |
$10.00 |
$295.40 |
|
17. Toronto Raptors |
$42.94 |
$6.47 |
$17.85 |
$289.71 |
$37.27 |
$9.50 |
$15.00 |
$281.06 |
|
19. Sacramento Kings |
$46.32 |
$7.00 |
$10.00 |
$280.28 |
$39.25 |
$8.50 |
$22.00 |
$278.90 |
|
21. Utah Jazz |
$43.19 |
$7.50 |
$10.00 |
$275.74 |
$43.31 |
$7.25 |
$10.00 |
$271.74 |
|
23. Orlando Magic |
$39.40 |
$5.75 |
$10.00 |
$263.10 |
24. Detroit Pistons |
$38.80 |
$9.50 |
$10.00 |
$261.20 |
$32.70 |
$8.00 |
$20.00 |
$258.78 |
|
26. Atlanta Hawks |
$35.26 |
$7.50 |
$15.35 |
$245.39 |
27. Indiana Pacers |
$32.59 |
$7.25 |
$10.00 |
$232.44 |
$31.48 |
$7.50 |
$15.00 |
$223.44 |
|
$30.20 |
$7.00 |
$15.00 |
$221.80 |
|
$30.60 |
$6.50 |
$5.00 |
$212.40 |
Related Articles
- Fan Cost Index for the 2013-2014 NBA Season
- Understanding The "Fan Cost Index"
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- 2014-2015 NBA Team Salaries and Payroll
- 2013-2014 NBA Team Salaries and Payroll
- 2012-2013 NBA Team Salaries and Payroll