Why are Kings playoff tickets so expensive?

The Sacramento Kings are back in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2006. At 48-34, the Kings were one of the season’s biggest surprises, and earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

For their first-round series, the Kings are hosting the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, who finished as the No. 6 seed. Seeking to light the beam in the playoffs, tickets to Game 1 are the hottest seller, according to Vivid Seats.

At an average ticket price of $551, the price for Game 1 of the series is $164 more expensive than the second-highest average price — $387 for Game 3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers–New York Knicks series, which will be played at Madison Square Garden. The Kings’ average is $293 more than the hottest first-round ticket of the 2021-22 postseason.

The cheapest ticket on Ticketmaster, via the Kings’ website, is $410 before fees. Sacramento coach Mike Brown hopes to give the team’s fans a few more chances to watch this postseason.

“We want to give [the fans] a lot more than we’ve given them so far already because they’re more than deserving of it,” Brown said after clinching the playoff berth. “And you know, when you have a fan base that’s … rather passionate about not only their team, but their city too, you could feel it’s a prideful thing. You want the world for them, and you’re excited about it. We want them to celebrate, but we, we also expect more from us and we expect to hopefully give them more.”

This increase continues a trend from the regular season. According to Vivid Seats, the average ticket price for the Kings increased 42% since last season, from $74 to $105.