Overview:
From the Avalanche to the Broncos, rising ticket prices are pushing fans to rethink how and if they attend games
Zach Laib, 28, a lifelong Colorado Avalanche fan, cheers and claps alongside other fans as the Avalanche score the game’s first goal. Even though the game is being played at Ball Arena, which is only a few blocks away, he is watching a large broadcast for free with his parents, nieces, and nephews.
“I looked at tickets for today, and eight nosebleed tickets were like $1,600 or $1,700,” Laib said. “It was expensive.”
Ticket prices for professional sports have surged over the past decade, far outpacing inflation, and Denver fans are feeling the squeeze.
New data from Gametime shows average NFL ticket prices nearly tripled from 2015 to 2025, even after adjusting for inflation. College football ticket prices jumped 119%, Major League Baseball rose 111% and NBA tickets climbed 70%.
A gradual increase in ticket prices from year to year is pushing everyday fans to scale back, split season tickets or skip games altogether. Fans also say they’ve noticed sharp increases just this season, along with rising costs tied to attending games.
“The cost of food is more expensive. The cost of parking is more expensive,” Laib said. “All aspects of it are more expensive.”
Denver’s winning teams are part of the equation. This season, the Avalanche are leading the NHL’s Western Conference. Less than two months ago, the Denver Broncos reached the AFC Championship game — one step away from the Super Bowl.
Riding that momentum, the Broncos recently raised average season ticket prices by about 9% for 2026, according to The Denver Post. On the secondary market, tickets last season sold for more than 50% above season-ticket prices. Laib believes success is driving demand and prices.
“Ticket prices are rising for teams like the Broncos or the Avalanche,” Laib said. “You see ticket prices for the Rockies; you can get in for $10. I think it has a lot to do with this idea of, does the fan think that the team I’m watching is going to win this game?”
Laib said it’s expected for the Avalanche to win. On top of that, he pointed to star players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar as major draws.
“Once we drafted Nathan MacKinnon, I really saw ticket prices increase,” Laib said.
Denise Vick, who has been an Avalanche fan for the past five years, said she has noticed prices climbing both year to year and over the course of this season.
“I think it’s expected, especially if your teams are doing good,” Vick said. “They know that they can get a little bit more out of added fans.”
Vick said rising costs of living also play a role. Over time, the increases forced her to downgrade from a full season ticket package.
“I still go, but I’m not able to do the full amount that I used to do,” Vick said. “They became costly, so I brought it down, and now I’m only at five games a year. It’s more economical for me, and I still get to enjoy the team.”
It’s Jacob Peterson’s third year buying Avalanche season tickets, but for the last two seasons he has split them with friends to offset the cost. He said his tickets have increased by about 15% each year.
“It’s frustrating,” Peterson said, “not being able to go to all the games.”
Anthony Tamayo, a lifelong Denver sports fan, said he’s also cut back. He remembers when Avalanche games were cheaper and easier to attend.
“I wish I could go more, but it’s not like a necessity,” Tamayo said. “I’m like, do I want to pay $60 for the nosebleeds? I don’t know.”
Jay Ham and Jen Goode said they’ve seen similar increases with Denver Nuggets tickets.
“We came to a game and bought the tickets before the first game of this season and they were much cheaper than a quarter of the way through,” Ham said.
Goode said rising prices are pushing everyday fans out across entertainment.
“Everybody gets priced out,” Goode said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s sports or regular concerts. Regular fans in general just get priced out of this shit.”
Derrik Wagner, who works as a bike caddy taking fans to and from Ball Arena, said he’s seen the shift firsthand.
“What was $30 in October is $60 now in March and April,” Wagner said. “And playoff tickets will be expensive too.”
Still, some teams say they are trying to balance pricing. Nearly half of the Broncos’ general admission tickets for the upcoming season will be priced below $150 per seat, according to what team leadership told The Denver Post, as part of an effort to maintain accessibility.
Higher prices can seem justified to fans like Vick, as long as the team performs well.
“I don’t have a problem paying for it if I know I’m getting what I’m paying for,” Vick said.
Peterson agrees. “I’d rather pay to go see a great team,” he said. “I’m not gonna go across the street to Coors Field. I don’t have any want to buy season tickets to a team (The Colorado Rockies) that’s going to lose 100 games.”
Tamayo still goes to one Avalanche and one Nuggets game per year, but he goes to Rockies games more frequently, primarily because they are less expensive.
“Rockies are super cheap,” Tamayo said. “You just go to drink and hang out with people. I feel like it’s a massive bar.”
According to Laib, the cost of attending games is increasingly difficult to justify, particularly for larger groups. He and his family chose to watch the Avalanche game at McGregor Square rather than purchasing tickets.
“I would love to see prices come down,” Laib said, “but I don’t think they’re going to.”
For many fans, this means a shift in how they interact with their teams, from attending in person to watching from outside the arena or at home.
“Everything’s a little bit more expensive, especially entertainment,” Laib said. “I don’t think it’s something that’s super specific to Denver. I think it’s an overall kind of trend that we’re seeing.”
