New Study Shows a Game Night in Toronto or Vegas Might Break the Bank, While Florida and Ottawa Are Among the Cheapest
Scotiabank Arena
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Paying ticket costs for pro sports – like any high-end entertainment product – is a pricey experience. And a recent study has ranked the NHL arenas by the total costs for a family of four to attend games.
The study, prepared by sports betting website Action Network, rated the most expensive and least expensive arena experiences, factoring in ticket prices, food, beverages and parking fees for a family of four attending a game. And there’s really no shock when it comes to the teams that had the costliest prices to attend games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Scotiabank Arena came in as the most expensive with a total cost of $703.88 U.S. dollars ($970.82 Canadian dollars). That's $271.86 usd ($374.96 cad) above the league-average cost of $432.02 usd for four people. The study notes the key cost for Toronto is ticket costs – the most on average of any team in the 32-team NHL. That cost may even go up as well with renovation plans that are already underway and set to be ready in the spring of 2025.
In somewhat of a surprise, the second-costliest city to see an NHL game in is Las Vegas. Their total cost for a family of four at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena is $676.56 usd – $244.54 above the league average. And in third place was an Original Six team – the New York Rangers, whose game experience at Madison Square Garden cost $617.18 usd – $185.16 above the average. The study noted, however, that buying a beer at Madison Square Garden costs more than anywhere else – $30.00 for two alcoholic beverages. And rounding out the top five most-expensive game experiences were Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (with a total cost of $590.28 usd, $158.26 over the average cost), and Boston’s TD Garden (with a total cost of $590.28 usd, $129.06 above the average).
Meanwhile, at the other end of the cost spectrum, the most affordable city to see an NHL game in was Arizona’s Mullett Arena, where four people could see a game, eat and pay for parking for the cost of $285.36 usd. That’s 29.77 percent below the league average. But obviously, with the movement of the Arizona Coyotes franchise to Utah this coming season, that option no longer exists.
In second place – and still an in-use NHL arena – was Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena, which charged a total cost of $298.91 usd for a family of four. That’s $133.11 less than the average league cost.
The Panthers’ home rink was one of only two NHL rinks that came in below a total cost of $300, and it’s the only team that offered four tickets below the price of $200, which is a great deal considering the team has been solid for the last few years and just won the Stanley Cup this past June. That means the Panthers made most of their money on concession stand food and drinks – charging $72, the same price as the cost of concessions in Vegas.
Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre came in as the third-most-affordable game experience, costing $306.88 usd – 25.7 percent below the average. Senators fans also benefit from some of the most affordable food and drink costs in the league – just $45.90 for a family of four. And rounding out the top-five least-expensive game experiences were Buffalo’s KeyBank Center (with a total cost of $308.58 usd, $123.44 cheaper than the average), and Columbus’ Nationwide Arena (with a total cost of $326.82 usd, $105 less than the average).
The methodology of the Action Network study had prices scraped from Team Marketing Report’s 2023-24 Fan Cost Index, calculated by the cost of four general tickets, two beers, two soft drinks, four hot dogs and parking. To find the sorted data of the study, click here.
