The Golden State Warriors' torrid start to the National Basketball Association season has created intense demand for tickets: record-breaking intense.
The fast-paced squad, led by reigning league Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry, has dominated on its way to a record 23-0 start to the season. The Warriors, last year's NBA champions, hope to reach 24-0 when they play the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
For many fans, securing a seat at a Warriors game may prove difficult or impossible. The team said it has sold out 144 straight home games, and 18,500 people currently sit on a wait list for 14,500 season tickets.
The average resale ticket for Warriors home games this season is listed at about $344, the highest in the NBA and well above the league average of about $148, according to resale site TiqIQ. For comparison, tickets sold directly by the Warriors' Oracle Arena, which seats roughly 19,600 people, start at roughly $90 to $100 for most upcoming games.
Prices for the team's NBA Finals rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers have shot particularly high. The cheapest ticket on the primary market — a last-row seat — was listed for $240 as of Thursday. The average ticket on TiqIQ cost about $880.
The average resale price is the highest among 25 Christmas Day games TiqIQ has tracked since 2011.
Here are some other key business statistics for the Warriors this year, according to the team:
- Ninety-eight percent of season ticket holders renewed their seats for this season.
- Merchandise sales on Warriors.com have soared 1,000 percent from this time last season. Merchandise sales at the arena have jumped 100 percent.
- In the first two weeks of this season, sales of Curry's jersey spiked nearly 600 percent on sports apparel retail site Fanatics.
The Warriors aren't the only California team to spark fervent demand for seats. Resale ticket costs for Los Angeles Lakers games have jumped this year, and the average home game price of about $296 is second only to the Warriors, according to TiqIQ.
Secondary listings for the team's Christmas Day game against its crosstown rival, the Clippers, average about $798.
Kobe Bryant, a 20-year veteran and five-time champion with the Lakers, announced last month that he will retire at the end of the season. Bryant's imminent departure — not the Lakers' 3-19 record — has likely driven the price increases.