The Brooklyn Nets should be one of the most popular NBA teams in the world. They play in the New York market and currently employ 2 of the most entertaining basketball players in the world in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The team has hopes to win a title, but it doesn’t look like their own home crowds care to support them much.
According to the New York Post, the Nets sit dead last in the NBA this season for season ticket sales. There are a variety of reasons for this but the most commonly cited one is the increase in prices that have affected fans and deterred them from buying season tickets, especially considering how last season went.
The Nets have chased away many loyal fans after jacking up prices on some seats by more than 50% for the team’s 41 home games at Barclays Center, multiple sources told The Post.
Despite last season’s soaring attendance, the Nets and Barclays Center lost between $50 million and $100 million, The Post reported exclusively, among the worst in the league.
A season ticket holder who gave up two prime courtside seats told The Post the $3,500 per ticket he had been paying in his three-year expiring contract skyrocketed to $5,400, a 54% jump. Over the course of 41 home games, the new plan would have cost $221,400 per ticket.
Tack on another $200,000 per playoff ticket if the Nets make it to the NBA Finals and the “two tickets are almost $1 million,” said the fan, requesting anonymity. (h/t NY Post)
These prices seem ludicrous for basketball, but the Nets are a prime team, and the Barclays Center is one of the best arenas in the world. The NY Post article also lays out the Nets’ intention of focusing on selling gameday tickets instead of season tickets, a strategy not employed by many others in the league.
Why Do Fans Not Care About The Nets?
Despite having Kyrie and KD, the fanbase of New York has stuck with the Knicks over the Nets. The Knicks can be bad for however many years, the fandom for the team is rooted in culture and much deeper, unlike anyone that has a connection with the Nets. Their inconsistencies and troublesome star duo have turned many fans away from them to other teams that at least fight every night.
A championship run may change that, but it doesn’t seem there will be many season ticket holders cheering the team on in the stands during the Finals run that the team is hoping to go on this year to retain Kyrie and keep KD happy.
