By Bianca Javate
Medill Reports
Less than a month before the Chicago Sky host the Indiana Fever on Saturday at the United Center, the most expensive resale ticket on Ticketmaster was an eye-popping $11,900.
On May 24, Fever star Caitlin Clark got injured and is now questionable to appear in the game, slashing the price of that ticket, a courtside seat, by half.
Still, these figures would have been unfathomable just a few years ago before the 2024 rookie class arrived.
The WNBA’s 2024 season ushered in a new era thanks to a star-studded draft that included Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and Kamilla Cardoso.
“This rookie class has supercharged the league’s visibility,” said Drew Russell, the executive vice president of properties and media assets at Intersport, a sports marketing agency. “But that visibility comes with growing pains.”
According to the league, attendance rose by 48%, reaching a record-high 2.4 million fans. In Chicago alone, 175,148 fans showed up, averaging 8,757 per game.
Yet as attendance spikes, so do prices. Statista reports that the average ticket price for a Sky game in 2024 was $146 — a $103 increase from the 2021 average of $43. This jump poses issues as the surge in popularity pushes out the very fans who helped build the league.
Dixon Galvez-Searle, a longtime Sky fan and partial season ticket holder since 2020, has watched the cost of attending games climb every year.
“Last year, we got the flex (partial season ticket) pack with 15 tickets for less than $500 on a Black Friday sale,” he said. “It was a good bargain (but was) still pricier than it had been in previous years.”
This year, Galvez-Searle and his family didn’t renew their season tickets due to the rising cost.
Information on ticket package prices is currently unavailable on the Sky website. Still, fans have flocked to the WNBA and Chicago Sky Reddit threads to complain about an “80% increase” for full season tickets.
“I understand demand is up and they need to make money. But they should have set the new price for new season ticket holders. And then do a phased increased for returning season ticket holders, say over 2 or 3 seasons,” user “erutio” said in a thread.
A user named “Josh_5890” started a support group for others who missed out on tickets to the United Center game. “Literally everything outside of single seats were taken within 2 minutes, and the entire 300 level evaporated at the same time. 21k seat arena sold out just like that!” the user said.
User “mtmaloney” remarked in that group how shocked they were that 300-level seats were going for more than $200.
Jeffrey Levine, an associate clinical professor of sport business at Drexel University, said this backlash isn’t surprising.
“Price is one of the five P’s of marketing. The more expensive something is, the more exclusive it seems,” Levine said. “But that comes at a cost that grassroots fans and families might be priced out.”
Levine added authenticity and inclusion will be key for sustaining growth.
“You can’t ignore the fans who got you here. Teams need to meet fans where they are, both digitally and in person,” he said.
Russell echoed that sentiment.
“You’re not just battling affordability. You’re battling convenience,” he said. “The at-home viewing experience is so good that live games need to deliver something more.”
Some fans, like Alexis BernardiReis, still find value in splurging.
A senior manager at a fintech firm and lifelong Chicago sports fan, BernardiReis said she has paid as high as $2,000 to attend a Chicago event: Game 7 of the Cubs’ World Series win in 2016. She sees this as an investment in memory.
“Even when it’s awful and you watch your team lose, it’s like: ‘But I was there,’” BernardiReis said. “If someone offered me $20,000 to erase that memory, I’d say no.”
BernardiReis said she understands how resale markets work, and how sometimes cheaper tickets become available hours closer to the game. But that doesn’t change the fact many fans can’t access the games that mean the most.
So what can be done?
Russell suggested teams explore models like all-inclusive ticket pricing, more accessible player experiences and enhanced in-game entertainment. Levine recommended community-specific outreach and loyalty programs.
As for the Chicago Sky, the team moved two games this year against the Fever to the United Center to accommodate the demand and address capacity constraints.
“Chicago Sky fans have consistently shown up for the team and the city, and we want to reward their passion and dedication by bringing this excitement to an expanded capacity,” Sky President and CEO Adam Fox said at the time of the announcement in February.
Resale platforms also have tried to improve the buyer experience. Sites like TickPick and StubHub label listings based on value and view quality. SeatGeek has visibility scores to guide buyers.
However, neither the move to the United Center nor efforts by ticket resellers have solved inflated prices.
As a result, fans like Galvez-Searle plan to go to fewer games.
“I want players to be paid, for sure. But when you balance the implications of the league becoming a lot richer, all of that money comes out of the pockets of fans,” he said. “I’m not really enthusiastic about seeing (how) becoming a WNBA fan (is) becoming significantly more expensive, simply so, you know, a small number of folks can pocket those proceeds.”
Bianca Javate is a graduate student at Medill in the Sports Media specialization. You can reach her via email: biancajavate@u.northwestern.edu.