As the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat get into their final preparation for tonight’s NBA Finals Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver, the final countdown is on for fans looking to score tickets to the league’s premier showcase. Ticket prices for the NBA Finals are averaging over $1,000 per seat according to sales on Ticket Club – but that’s actually a steep discount compared to recent years.
Tickets to tonight’s Game 1 series tip-off in Colorado – where the Nuggets are playing in the NBA finals for a first time in franchise history – are seeing an average price paid of $1,109 for members of Ticket Club. That’s very close to the overall series average price paid of $1,113 to date, which is the fourth-highest average price paid for any NBA Finals series in the more than 10 years of Ticket Club’s existence – but the least expensive since 2018.
For comparison, the 2022 finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics had an average ticket cost of $1,658 for Ticket Club members – an all-time high, more than $225 higher on average than the second-highest, 2019’s Golden State vs. Toronto Raptors series.
Historical Ticket Price Averages – NBA Finals 2012-2023
| YEAR | TEAMS | GAMES PLAYED | Series Avg. Price |
| 2012 | Thunder vs. Heat | 5 | $495 |
| 2013 | Heat vs. Spurs | 7 | $544 |
| 2014 | Heat vs. Spurs | 5 | $514 |
| 2015 | Warriors vs. Cavs | 6 | $872 |
| 2016 | Warriors vs. Cavs | 7 | $1,071 |
| 2017 | Warriors vs. Cavs | 5 | $952 |
| 2017 | Warriors vs. Cavs | 4 | $755 |
| 2019 | Warriors vs. Raptors | 6 | $1,424 |
| 2020 | Lakers vs. Heat | 6 | N/A |
| 2021 | Suns vs. Bucks | 6 | $1,290 |
| 2022 | Warriors vs. Celtics | 6 | $1,658 |
| 2023 | Heat vs. Nuggets | TBD | $1,113 |
The reasons for the ticket price surges over the last half decade are largely driven by increased use of “dynamic” ticket pricing and other price increases pursued by the teams selling tickets in the first place, which have corresponded with the rise in the secondary market price. And, unquestionably, the shutdown of live events due to COVID and increased demand for opportunities to see things live and in person has also played a role.
Breaking things for the 2023 series out into the individual games, it’s apparent that the appetite for NBA Finals action is strong in Denver, which doesn’t have a single scheduled game averaging less than $1,000 per-ticket average. Interestingly, the Denver games are very consistent in terms of average price – games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at Ball Arena are all seeing average sold prices within $30 of $1,100 – in either direction. Games at Miami’s Kaseya Center are much more varied in terms of what has sold thus far. Game three tickets have sold for the lowest average of the seven – $914 – but a potentially series-closing Game 4 has seen an average price paid of $1,286.
2023 NBA Finals – Average Ticket Prices Paid
| Ticket Club | Elsewhere | |
| Game 1 (Denver) | $1,109 | $1,350 |
| Game 2 (Denver) | $1,072 | $1,425 |
| Game 3 (Miami) | $914 | $1,085 |
| Game 4 (Miami) | $1,286 | $1,669 |
| Game 5 (Denver)* | $1,089 | $1,340 |
| Game 6 (Miami)* | $1,041 | $1,413 |
| Game 7 (Denver)* | $1,120 | $1,560 |
| OVERALL | $1,113 | $1,399 |
One thing that is clear is the advantage that members of Ticket Club are seeing vs. shoppers on other ticket marketplaces. The “elsewhere” field in the table above shows the price averages that would be paid by consumers not taking advantage of our member pricing. On average, consumers would be paying nearly $300 more on “traditional” ticket marketplaces that hide their true cost behind late transaction fees.
One data point worth noting – this series could see its average rise significantly depending on how the games play out. How can we say that? Because the average price paid for last season’s Game 1 in San Francisco was just $100 higher than the average paid for this season’s series opener on Thursday night in Denver – $1,212. The prices just continued climbing as Boston and Golden State played on, so a tight series could mean that the best deals on tickets for the later games of the series are available right now.
What Are Current NBA Finals Ticket Prices?
Currently, the minimum price to get in to see Thursday’s series opener stands at around $655 (as of Wednesday afternoon). The minimum prices for members of Ticket Club are around that point for the first four games, with a big jump to $983 for Game 5 in Denver and $1,132 for Game 7. Game 6 in Miami is a slightly lower “get-in” with fans seeing tickets as low as $751.
NBA Finals Ticket Prices on Ticket Club
| Game/Date | Get-In Price | Median Price | High Price |
| June 1 – Game 1 at Denver | $655 | $1,170 | $8,036 |
| June 4 – Game 2 at Denver | $672 | $1,245 | $10,412 |
| June 7 – Game 3 at Miami | $645 | $1,124 | $10,451 |
| June 9 – Game 4 at Miami | $688 | $1,125 | $13,704 |
| June 12 – Game 5 at Denver * | $983 | $1,817 | $14,247 |
| June 15 – Game 6 at Miami * | $751 | $1,645 | $13,361 |
| June 18 – Game 7 at Denver * | $1,132 | $2,698 | $18,631 |
For fans in Miami, the “get-in” price figures are actually a bit lower, if you count some areas of their home court that offer standing room tickets. For games 3 and 4, standing room seats can be had for $545 and $572, while Game 6 has SRO for $678.
NBA Finals – What are Premium Seats Going For?
For fans looking to get to the lower sections in Miami and Denver, the prices you’ll have to pay are (naturally) a bit higher – closer to the “median” figures in the table above. For Game 1 in Denver, a “loge” level ticket can be had for around $1,000, which rises to $1,067 for Game 2. In Miami, 100-level seats for games 3 and 4 are around the same level – $1,038 and $1,187 and up, respectively. “Flagship” section seats, near midcourt in the first handful of rows, are the true premiums, going for $9,988 for Game 3, $8,899 for Game 4, and a whopping $13,361 if Game 6 is necessary.
Tickets for Game 7, if necessary, are understandable seeing a very high ask at this point. A loge-level seat in Denver is $1,973 at the low end for the June 18 game, with an overall median price in the arena standing at $2,698.
When Should You Buy NBA Finals Tickets?
Always a tricky question – as discussed above, the prices can rise dramatically or go the other way, depending on how things play out. Should Miami win either game in Denver, prices for Games 3 and 4 will almost certainly rise, and tickets to Game 4 could spike significantly if Miami comes home with a 2-0 lead. Should Denver bring a 3-1 lead in to Game 5 at home, prices at Ball Arena will be sky-high.
However, if Denver goes out like gangbusters and has a chance to clinch in Miami during Game 4, prices could drop to a point where travel from Colorado and a ticket could be more managable than banking on a home clincher in Game 5.
Regardless, ticket prices tend to drop on the day of the game, particularly as tip-off approaches. But members at Ticket Club are almost always going to find the best ticket prices available for NBA finals games, regardless of where they are held.