How Much Money Are NBA Teams Losing Without Fans?

After playing last season in the “bubble” in Orlando, the NBA is playing at home arenas this season. However, only six franchises are playing in front of fans: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors. And the Raptors are actually playing in Tampa, Florida, because the team isn’t able to travel to Canada.

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So it’s no surprise that NBA teams are taking a big financial hit this season. The losses range from $224 million for the Grizzlies to an eye-popping $472 million for the Knicks.

GOBankingRates.com looked at each team’s yearly revenue and attendance and calculated what each franchise is losing without fans. Read on to see how big the losses are this season.

Last updated: Jan. 5, 2021

• Yearly Revenue: $224 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $5.5 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $20 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $487,000
• Average Attendance: 15,587
• Average Ticket Price: $30.76
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $204 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $25.5 million

The Grizzlies had originally hoped to have fans in the stands but currently are not allowing any.

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• Yearly Revenue: $224 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $5.5 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $33 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $804,900
• Average Attendance: 16,505
• Average Ticket Price: $48.77
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $191 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $23.88 million

The Pelicans are only allowing 750 fans per game.

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• Yearly Revenue: $234 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $5.7 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $33 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $804,900
• Average Attendance: 15,066
• Average Ticket Price: $53.42
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $201 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $25.1 million

The Timberwolves have yet to allow fans to attend.

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• Yearly Revenue: $240 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $5.9 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $28 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $682,900
• Average Attendance: 15,438
• Average Ticket Price: $44.24
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $212 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $26.5 million

The Hornets are starting the season with no fans, but they’re hopeful that will change over the course of the season.

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• Yearly Revenue: $243 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $5.9 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $32 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $780,500
• Average Attendance: 16,531
• Average Ticket Price: $47.21
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $211 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $26.4 million

The Pacers are not planning to allow fans for the near future.

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• Yearly Revenue: $244 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $6.0 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $43 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $1,048,700
• Average Attendance: 17,092
• Average Ticket Price: $61.36
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $201 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $25.2 million

The Magic are planning to allow approximately 4,000 fans per game.

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• Yearly Revenue: $246 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $6.0 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $34 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $829,300
• Average Attendance: 15,732
• Average Ticket Price: $52.71
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $212 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $25.5 million

Arizona’s virus numbers remain high, so the Suns have no plans currently to allow fans.

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• Yearly Revenue: $251 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $6.1 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $32 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $780,500
• Average Attendance: 16,042
• Average Ticket Price: $48.65
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $219 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $27.4 million

The Hawks are starting the season without fans in attendance but hope to welcome limited attendance starting Jan. 18.

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• Yearly Revenue: $252 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $6.1 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $47 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $1,146,300
• Average Attendance: 19,186
• Average Ticket Price: $59.75
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $205 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $25.6 million

The Nuggets have not welcomed fans to their home arena yet but continue to monitor the situation.

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• Yearly Revenue: $255 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $6.2 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $47 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $1,146,300
• Average Attendance: 15,438
• Average Ticket Price: $74.25
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $208 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $26.0 million

The Pistons have not allowed any fans into the arena.

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• Yearly Revenue: $258 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $5.3 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $63 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $1,536,600
• Average Attendance: 18,203
• Average Ticket Price: $84.41
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $195 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $24.4 million

The Thunder are not currently allowing fans to attend but continue to assess the situation.

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• Yearly Revenue: $258 million
• Revenue per Home Game: $6.3 million
• Yearly Gate Receipts: $58 million
• Gate Receipts per Home Game: $1,414,600
• Average Attendance: 18,306
• Average Ticket Price: $77.28
• Yearly Food and Merchandise Revenue: $200 million
• Food and Merchandise Revenue per Home Game: $25 million

The Jazz have allowed 1,932 fans per game this season — 1,500 in the lower bowl, plus limited suite capacity.

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• Yearly revenue: $269 million
• Revenue per home game: $6.6 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $53 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,292,700
• Average attendance: 16,646
• Average ticket price: $77.66
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $216 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $27 million

The Wizards have started the season with no fans in attendance.

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• Yearly revenue: $282 million
• Revenue per home game: $6.9 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $64 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,561,000
• Average attendance: 19,068
• Average ticket price: $81.86
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $218 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $27.3 million

With California under tight restrictions, the Clippers have no plans to welcome fans anytime soon.

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• Yearly revenue: $283 million
• Revenue per home game: $6.9 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $65 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,585,400
• Average attendance: 17,710
• Average ticket price: $89.52
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $218 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $27.3 million

In accordance with state and local health rules, the Bucks are not allowing fans yet.

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• Yearly revenue: $285 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.0 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $76 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,853,700
• Average attendance: 18,350
• Average ticket price: $101.02
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $209 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $26.1 million

The Spurs are starting the season without any fans, for the foreseeable future.

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• Yearly revenue: $286 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.0 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $60 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,463,400
• Average attendance: 16,795
• Average ticket price: $87.13
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $226 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $28.2 million

The Kings will not have fans in attendance for the time being.

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• Yearly revenue: $287 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.0 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $67 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,634,100
• Average attendance: 19,633
• Average ticket price: $83.23
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $220 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $27.5 million

The Blazers will continue to monitor the situation but are not allowing fans in the arena yet.

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• Yearly revenue: $294 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.2 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $70 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,1,707,300
• Average attendance: 19,680
• Average ticket price: $86.75
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $224 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $28 million

The Heat are playing in an empty arena for now but continue to assess the situation.

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• Yearly revenue: $300 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.3 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $69 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,682,900
• Average attendance: 17,816
• Average ticket price: $94.46
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $231 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $28.9 million

The Cavaliers are allowing 300 fans per game, so they recoup a bit of revenue but not much.

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• Yearly revenue: $300 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.3 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $71 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,731,700
• Average attendance: 20,628
• Average ticket price: $83.95
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $229 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $28.6 million

The 76ers won’t have any fans in attendance for the foreseeable future.

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• Yearly revenue: $301 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.3 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $61 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,487,800
• Average attendance: 18,804
• Average ticket price: $79.12
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $240 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $30 million

The Bulls aren’t allowing fans but continue to work with state and local officials to determine when that will be possible.

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• Yearly revenue: $304 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.4 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $60 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,463,400
• Average attendance: 16,403
• Average ticket price: $89.22
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $244 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $30.5 million

The Nets are following New York state protocols to determine when they will allow fans to attend.

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• Yearly revenue: $304 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.4 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $85 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $2,073,200
• Average attendance: 19,089
• Average ticket price: $108.61
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $219 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $27.4 million

The Celtics have started the season with no fans in attendance.

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• Yearly revenue: $307 million
• Revenue per home game: $7.5 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $52 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $1,268,300
• Average attendance: 20,061
• Average ticket price: $63.22
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $255 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $31.9 million

So far, the Mavericks are not allowing fans to attend.

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• Yearly revenue: $334 million
• Revenue per home game: $8.1 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $101 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $2,463,400
• Average attendance: 19,795
• Average ticket price: $124.45
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $233 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $29.1 million

The Raptors, playing in the Tampa area because they are not allowed to cross the border into Canada, are allowing 3,624 fans per game.

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• Yearly revenue: $348 million
• Revenue per home game: $8.5 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $97 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $2,365,800
• Average attendance: 18,076
• Average ticket price: $130.88
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $251 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $31.4 million

The Rockets are allowing 3,156 fans per game.

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• Yearly revenue: $434 million
• Revenue per home game: $10.6 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $104 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $2,536,600
• Average attendance: 18,997
• Average ticket price: $133.53
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $330 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $41.3 million

With strict measures in place in California, the Lakers have not allowed fans.

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• Yearly revenue: $440 million
• Revenue per home game: $10.7 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $178 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $4,341,500
• Average attendance: 18,064
• Average ticket price: $240.34
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $262 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $32.8 million

The Warriors have yet to play a full season in front of fans in their new arena, the Chase Center. They are not playing in front of fans yet this season.

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• Yearly revenue: $472 million
• Revenue per home game: $11.5 million
• Yearly gate receipts: $132 million
• Gate receipts per home game: $3,219,500
• Average attendance: 18,811
• Average ticket price: $171.15
• Yearly food and merchandise revenue: $340 million
• Food and merchandise revenue per home game: $42.5 million

The Knicks are following New York protocols and have not allowed fans this season.

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Methodology: For his piece, GOBankingRates looked at Forbes’ 2020 team evaluations for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Using these reports and attendance reports for the most recent completed season from ESPN, GOBankingRates found the following data points to measure the revenue each franchise will lose out on in one season without fan attendance: (1) yearly revenue, (2) revenue per home game, (3) yearly gate receipts, (4) gate receipts per home game, (5) average attendance, (6) average ticket price per home game, (7) yearly food and merchandise revenue, (8) food and merchandise revenue per home game. All data was collected on and up to date as of Dec. 17, 2020.