Pelicans ranked most affordable NBA experience for families in 2025

A new report from The Action Network reveals that Pelicans games rank as the most affordable in the entire NBA for families to attend in 2025, with an average total game-day cost of $980, nearly 32% below the league average of $1,442.

The analysis looked at the real cost of attending an NBA game — including tickets, concessions, parking, and merchandise for a family of four — to show where fans are getting the best value and where prices soar highest across the league.

Key Highlights: New Orleans Pelicans Family Game-Day Profile

• Rank: No. 1 – Most Affordable NBA Game for Families

• Average Total Cost: $980 (32% below league average of $1,442)

• Tickets: Around $410 for a family of four at the Smoothie King Center

• Food & Drinks: Roughly $60 for beers, soft drinks and snacks

• Merchandise: Approximately $480 for four hats and jerseys – a typical souvenir haul

• Parking: About $30 for arena-adjacent parking

“The Pelicans stand out as one of the few NBA teams where a family can still enjoy live basketball at a genuinely accessible price,” said a spokesperson for The Action Network.

“With affordable tickets, reasonable concessions, and a passionate fan base, Pelicans games offer one of the best-value nights out in professional sports.”

League-Wide Highlights

• Most Expensive NBA Games for Families (2025): New York Knicks — $2,130.53
  Nearly 50% above the league average, with premium ticket prices and high demand driving overall costs.

• Most Affordable NBA Games for Families (2025): New Orleans Pelicans — $980
  Roughly 32% below the league average, offering one of the best value experiences in pro basketball.

• League Average: $1,442.03 — the average total cost for a family of four to attend an NBA game, including tickets, food and drinks, merchandise, and parking.

• Tickets make up over half of total costs (50.6%), showing how seat prices largely determine NBA game affordability across markets..

Top 5 Most Affordable NBA Teams for Families in 2025

1. New Orleans Pelicans — $980

2. Utah Jazz — $1,020

3. Washington Wizards — $1,100

4. Houston Rockets — $1,180

5. Memphis Grizzlies — $1,185

Methodology

The 2025 NBA Game-Day Cost Index ranks all 30 NBA teams by the total estimated cost for a family of four, combining:

• Tickets – Average prices from Ticketmaster (340,000 tickets analyzed)

• Food & Drinks – Concession data for beer, soft drinks, and hot dogs (Statista, CPI-adjusted to 2025)

• Team Merchandise – Four jerseys and four hats from NBA Store Europe

• Parking Fees – Arena-adjacent averages from Action Network’s dataset

All figures were adjusted to 2025 using the Consumer Price Index and aggregated with Python to ensure consistency and accuracy.

View the complete ranking of all 30 NBA teams — from the most expensive to the most affordable — here: https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/the-most-expensive-and-most-affordable-nba-games-for-families-in-2025