Yahoo Finance 5 of the most expensive sporting tickets ever sold
Sports of all stripes draw a devout following from its fans and can cause some pretty hysterical behaviour, like English football hooliganism and post-game riots.
But perhaps the craziest behaviour of all is the amount some fans will spend to watch their favourite team play.
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Here in Australia, while we’re deprived of sensational international sports like the National Basketball League, Major League Baseball or American Football, we’ve got the luxury of affordable tickets to the sports we do have.
Tickets to a professional netball game will set you back around $18, while adult general admission tickets to the Australian Football League are very reasonably priced at just $27.
For a big game like the AFL grand final, you can expect to pay around $200 if you’re a member, on top of your $600 annual membership fee. It gets a little more expensive if you’re just after a general admission ticket, and you’ll have to add flights on top if you’re not from Melbourne (where the grand final is held).
But hundreds of dollars is a far cry from the most expensive tickets in the world, which can see some forking up to $1 million.
Here’s five of the most expensive sporting tickets ever sold:
1 . The Chicago Cubs vs the Cleveland Indians (2016)
Cost: $1.7 million
This game would’ve cost an arm and a leg to see, if an arm and a leg is worth more than a million of dollars.
The 2016 Major League Baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians saw the Cubs win their first Fall Classic meeting in 108 years, and a very select few paid a whopping US$1.17 million (AU$1.7 million) to see them play, Sport One reported.
While those tickets were most likely reserved for the rich and famous, it still would’ve been pricey to see the game as a regular fan, with the median listed price sitting at $2,249.
2 . Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors (2017)
Cost: $194,232
In 2017, the Cleveland Cavaliers won against the Golden State Warriors in a tight 129-120 match, and tickets sold for as high as US$133,000 (AU$194,232) for the game.
3 . Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor (2017)
Cost $157,700
In 2013, American boxer, Floyd Mayweather locked horns with Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao, in what was coined the “fight of the century”. While the fight itself left fans a little disappointed, some people still paid in excess of $204,746 for a ticket, according to Barry’s Tickets.
Fast-forward to 2017, and Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Conor McGregor similarly drew in a tonne of cash.
Ringside tickets were selling on third party websites for an insane $157,700. As the fight’s venue, the T-Mobile Arena, had a capacity of 20,000 people, total sales for the event would’ve outstripped the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight.
4 . Lakers vs Celtics (2010)
Cost: $167,146
In game seven of the NBA finals, the Lakers battled the Celtics and won, with people paying as much as US$115,000 (AU$167,146) for courtside seats, GQ Australia reported.
5 . Germany vs Argentina (2014)
Cost: $39,224
The World Cup Finals are huge.
So huge in fact, that to have seen Germany win over Argentina would’ve set you back $27,000, according to GQ Australia.
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