Once fans are back in the stands around the NBA, then they should expect Chicago Bulls games at the United Center to be costly again.
Usually ticket prices around the NBA are the hottest for the biggest market storied teams and the ones that are doing the best during that individual season. And that trend usually holds true for not just the NBA, but each of the major North American professional sports leagues. That would make big market storied franchises in the Eastern Conference like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks expensive tickets, despite their current struggles over the last few seasons.
It is usually a very fun and memorable experience for both Knicks and Bulls fans, and then just hoops fans in general, to catch at least one home game at the likes of Madison Square Garden and/or the United Center. That is somewhat of a bucket list experience that even draws a big crowd among tourists in big cities like Chicago and New York.
However, the costly price to see bad teams at home like the Knicks and Bulls can also push away some of the everyday fans that get increasingly frustrated with the marketing ploys of each organization and the lack of success in the standings. The Bulls and Knicks both hold two of the longer playoff droughts in the East.
The last time that the Bulls made the playoffs was in 2017, and the Knicks haven’t made it since 2013.
It’s easy to see how some fans could be frustrated with paying hefty prices to see their favorite bad teams play on a consistent basis. And a recent report from Bill Shea of The Athletic (paid content) proved just how costly it can be for a single fan, or an entire family, to witness a Bulls and/or Knicks game.
Apparently the Bulls are one of the five most expensive costs of attendance for a family of four to go to a game, from data gathered over the course of the 2019-20 regular season prior to the pause. Here’s more on what this report gathered for the cost of a game, not just for the Bulls, but for an average NBA team.
"TMR’s 2019-20 Fan Cost Index (FCI) is an estimate of how much it costs a family of four to attend a game in a particular league, and this year’s NBA average is $430, an increase of $9 over a year ago. The FCI formula is based on the average cost of four adult non-premium tickets, single-car parking, two draft beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, and two adult-sized adjustable hats. The hats are a proxy for the endless souvenirs available at an arena or stadium"
The average cost for a Bulls game was set at $562 for a family of four by the way this FCI was calculated. But that was just over half as much as it was for the calculated cost for a Knicks game, set just over $900.
Another interesting point to this piece was the loss of revenue for a team that had a lot of revenue coming in that made a solid run in the playoffs, like the Los Angeles Lakers and/or Boston Celtics. The season ended early for the likes of the Bulls and Knicks anyway, but the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and the Lakers won the title.
The Bulls finished up the 2019-20 season with a record of 22-43, good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. If there’s some level of fans back at the United Center heading into the 2020-21 season, then they will be hoping for an improved product on the floor after all the organizational changes that happened so far this offseason.