Knicks Fans Dominate Ticket Sales for NBA Finals in San Antonio

An interesting trend is unfolding as Knicks fans prepare to head to San Antonio for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. According to various ticket resale companies, New Yorkers might outnumber Texans in the arena.

Matt Ferrel, vice president of TickPick, expressed surprise at the number of tickets purchased by New Yorkers. He noted it was an unprecedented situation. With just a day before the game, TickPick reported that 48% of the tickets sold were bought by people from New York and New Jersey. This data came from ZIP codes linked to the credit cards used for purchases, as explained by spokesman Jonathan Gluskin.

Other platforms, including StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats, also reported significant sales to New York-area fans. These fans accounted for 36 to 40 percent of Game 5 ticket sales on their platforms. Only a small fraction, less than 20 percent, of the tickets from these sites were sold to Texans. Furthermore, fans from California and Florida together made up 15 percent of Game 5 sales on TickPick.

“It looks like San Antonio might effectively become New York City’s sixth borough on Saturday,” commented Jack Sterne, a StubHub spokesperson.

Generally, when fans travel to support their team away, it’s a short trip. Margaux Elias from SeatGeek noted examples like Chicago Bulls fans traveling to Milwaukee or Cleveland Cavaliers fans visiting Detroit. However, the journey from New York to San Antonio is much longer. It’s an 1,800-mile distance from Madison Square Garden, requiring a 27-hour drive. Flights would be quicker, but Friday night had few viable options, a Delta flight being one of the better choices at $703.

Despite travel challenges, attending Game 5 in San Antonio might be cost-effective for Knicks fans. While tickets at Madison Square Garden reached $8,000 this month, Game 5 tickets in San Antonio averaged $2,372, according to Vivid Seats spokesperson Julia Young.

Mr. Ferrel pointed out that attending the game in San Antonio provides these fans a relative bargain compared to possible costs for a home game if the Spurs extend the series to Game 6.