Which Team is the Best Deal in Pro Sports?
Are sports fans always getting the most for their money? To find out, datascience@berkeley tested a theory: Teams with a higher ticket price also have a higher winning percentage — and vice versa. Below, find out which teams give fans the most bang for their buck, and which will leave people wondering what they paid for.
Below, the teams are ordered from best to worst deals. Teams at the top are ‘good deals’ — they win more than pricier teams, or cost less than worse teams. Teams at the bottom are ‘bad deals’ — they win less than cheaper teams, or cost more than better teams.
For example, analysis that the Pittsburgh Pirates are the best deal in the MLB because they have the fifth-highest winning percentage,1 but have the 24th highest cost of attendance.2
MLB
| Team Name | Ticket, parking and concession | Winning % (last 5 years) | Cost Ranking | Win Ranking | Cost minus Win Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh Pirates | $47.93 | 53.50% | 24 | 5 | 19 |
Baltimore Orioles | $43.45 | 52.60% | 27 | 10 | 17 |
Cleveland Indians | $51.04 | 56.20% | 20 | 4 | 16 |
LA Dodgers | $58.88 | 58.40% | 13 | 1 | 12 |
Tampa Bay Rays | $31.60 | 49.00% | 30 | 18 | 12 |
Detroit Tigers | $47.90 | 50.40% | 25 | 14 | 11 |
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | $49.76 | 51.20% | 22 | 12 | 10 |
Kansas City Royals | $55.33 | 53.20% | 16 | 8 | 8 |
Washington Nationals | $64.52 | 56.40% | 9 | 2 | 7 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | $42.65 | 47.70% | 28 | 21 | 7 |
St. Louis Cardinals | $65.54 | 56.30% | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Texas Rangers | $55.94 | 51.70% | 15 | 11 | 4 |
Cincinnati Reds | $42.64 | 45.20% | 29 | 26 | 3 |
Milwaukee Brewers | $49.60 | 47.30% | 23 | 22 | 1 |
San Diego Padres | $46.03 | 45.20% | 26 | 26 | 0 |
Toronto Blue Jays | $62.36 | 51.20% | 11 | 12 | -1 |
Oakland Athletics | $55.13 | 48.90% | 17 | 19 | -2 |
Colorado Rockies | $50.27 | 45.70% | 21 | 24 | -3 |
Boston Red Sox | $80.22 | 53.30% | 3 | 6 | -3 |
Atlanta Braves | $52.96 | 47.20% | 18 | 23 | -5 |
Chicago Cubs | $104.07 | 53.30% | 1 | 7 | -6 |
New York Yankees | $91.62 | 53.20% | 2 | 8 | -6 |
Minnesota Twins | $52.18 | 44.80% | 19 | 28 | -9 |
New York Mets | $69.60 | 49.40% | 5 | 15 | -10 |
Seattle Mariners | $68.33 | 49.10% | 6 | 17 | -11 |
San Francisco Giants | $77.80 | 49.30% | 4 | 16 | -12 |
Miami Marlins | $59.01 | 45.20% | 12 | 25 | -13 |
Houston Astros | $66.50 | 48.40% | 7 | 20 | -13 |
Chicago White Sox | $58.23 | 44.10% | 14 | 29 | -15 |
Philadelphia Phillies | $64.04 | 42.70% | 10 | 30 | -20 |
NFL
| Team Name | Ticket, parking and concession | Winning % (last 5 years) | Cost Ranking | Win Ranking | Cost minus Win Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh Pirates | $47.93 | 53.50% | 24 | 5 | 19 |
Baltimore Orioles | $43.45 | 52.60% | 27 | 10 | 17 |
Cleveland Indians | $51.04 | 56.20% | 20 | 4 | 16 |
LA Dodgers | $58.88 | 58.40% | 13 | 1 | 12 |
Tampa Bay Rays | $31.60 | 49.00% | 30 | 18 | 12 |
Detroit Tigers | $47.90 | 50.40% | 25 | 14 | 11 |
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | $49.76 | 51.20% | 22 | 12 | 10 |
Kansas City Royals | $55.33 | 53.20% | 16 | 8 | 8 |
Washington Nationals | $64.52 | 56.40% | 9 | 2 | 7 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | $42.65 | 47.70% | 28 | 21 | 7 |
St. Louis Cardinals | $65.54 | 56.30% | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Texas Rangers | $55.94 | 51.70% | 15 | 11 | 4 |
Cincinnati Reds | $42.64 | 45.20% | 29 | 26 | 3 |
Milwaukee Brewers | $49.60 | 47.30% | 23 | 22 | 1 |
San Diego Padres | $46.03 | 45.20% | 26 | 26 | 0 |
Toronto Blue Jays | $62.36 | 51.20% | 11 | 12 | -1 |
Oakland Athletics | $55.13 | 48.90% | 17 | 19 | -2 |
Colorado Rockies | $50.27 | 45.70% | 21 | 24 | -3 |
Boston Red Sox | $80.22 | 53.30% | 3 | 6 | -3 |
Atlanta Braves | $52.96 | 47.20% | 18 | 23 | -5 |
Chicago Cubs | $104.07 | 53.30% | 1 | 7 | -6 |
New York Yankees | $91.62 | 53.20% | 2 | 8 | -6 |
Minnesota Twins | $52.18 | 44.80% | 19 | 28 | -9 |
New York Mets | $69.60 | 49.40% | 5 | 15 | -10 |
Seattle Mariners | $68.33 | 49.10% | 6 | 17 | -11 |
San Francisco Giants | $77.80 | 49.30% | 4 | 16 | -12 |
Miami Marlins | $59.01 | 45.20% | 12 | 25 | -13 |
Houston Astros | $66.50 | 48.40% | 7 | 20 | -13 |
Chicago White Sox | $58.23 | 44.10% | 14 | 29 | -15 |
Philadelphia Phillies | $64.04 | 42.70% | 10 | 30 | -20 |
NHL
| Team Name | Ticket, parking and concession | Winning % (last 5 years) | Cost Ranking | Win Ranking | Cost minus Win Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tampa Bay Lightning | $64.50 | 53.70% | 30 | 10 | 20 |
Anaheim Ducks | $75.35 | 60.40% | 21 | 2 | 19 |
Columbus Blue Jackets | $65.40 | 51.30% | 29 | 13 | 16 |
Dallas Stars | $67.28 | 49.70% | 28 | 15 | 13 |
St. Louis Blues | $87.33 | 60.40% | 14 | 2 | 12 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | $101.84 | 60.60% | 11 | 1 | 10 |
New York Islanders | $73.46 | 50.80% | 23 | 14 | 9 |
Ottawa Senators | $71.39 | 49.70% | 24 | 15 | 9 |
San Jose Sharks | $85.93 | 55.30% | 17 | 9 | 8 |
Washington Capitals | $104.48 | 58.80% | 9 | 5 | 4 |
Chicago Blackhawks | $117.05 | 60.40% | 5 | 2 | 3 |
Colorado Avalanche | $69.06 | 44.70% | 26 | 23 | 3 |
Florida Panthers | $67.89 | 43.60% | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Minnesota Wild | $91.56 | 53.70% | 13 | 10 | 3 |
Montreal Canadiens | $104.32 | 55.90% | 10 | 7 | 3 |
Detroit Red Wings | $79.66 | 47.90% | 20 | 18 | 2 |
Nashville Predators | $83.16 | 48.70% | 18 | 17 | 1 |
New York Rangers | $124.87 | 58.00% | 3 | 6 | -3 |
Calgary Flames | $86.44 | 47.60% | 15 | 19 | -4 |
Los Angeles Kings | $105.50 | 53.20% | 8 | 12 | -4 |
Arizona Coyotes | $69.93 | 39.10% | 25 | 29 | -4 |
Boston Bruins | $144.95 | 55.60% | 1 | 8 | -7 |
Carolina Hurricanes | $81.54 | 41.50% | 19 | 26 | -7 |
Buffalo Sabres | $74.97 | 35.40% | 22 | 30 | -8 |
New Jersey Devils | $85.96 | 40.40% | 16 | 27 | -11 |
Winnipeg Jets | $106.04 | 47.60% | 7 | 19 | -12 |
Philadelphia Flyers | $110.40 | 47.30% | 6 | 21 | -15 |
Edmonton Oilers | $96.06 | 39.90% | 12 | 28 | -16 |
Vancouver Canucks | $124.13 | 45.50% | 4 | 22 | -18 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | $142.82 | 43.40% | 2 | 25 | -23 |
1 Winning percentage is calculated as ‘games won as a percentage of all games played’ and accounts for the last 5 years, regular seasons only. For the NHL, overtime (OT) losses were counted as regular losses. MLB and NFL data is from 2013-2017 seasons; NBA and NHL data is from 2012-13 to 2016-17 seasons.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
2 Cost of attendance includes the cost of one ticket, stadium parking, one hot dog and one beer, and was determined using the most up-to-date values from Team Marketing Report (MLB, 2017 season; NFL, 2016 season; NBA, 2015-16 season; NHL, 2014-15 season).arrow_upward
Sources
Team Marketing Report, www.teammarketingreport.com; Baseball-Reference.com; 2017 NFL Record & Fact Book, operations.nfl.com/media/2696/2017-record-and-fact-book.pdf; ESPN; Basketball-Reference.com; NHL.com
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