Vol. XXVI, No. 3, March 2026
Increase in live sports event attendance and ticket prices
When it comes to leisure venues people visit when they leave their homes, live sports events have grown in popularity.
Between 2015 and 2024, the percentage of Americans attending live sporting and recreational events on an average day increased by 40%. And the average time they spent attending per month increased by 18 minutes.
Attendance across all major US sports leagues and college events grew by 25% from 2019 to 2024.
Meanwhile, demand has caused sports ticket prices to rise significantly more than inflation across leagues over the past 10 years, with premium seats skyrocketing according to data from ticketing platform Gametime. Average NFL ticket prices sold on Gametime nearly tripled from 2015 to 2025, up 173% after adjusting for inflation. Increases to other leagues were less, but all exceeded inflation.
The popularity of attending major sports events is driving ticket prices to levels that are unaffordable for all but the wealthiest fans.
Takeaway
Despite their increasing ticket prices, attending live sports events has become an even more serious competition to attending a location-based entertainment venue.
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