The NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, a rematch from the 1999 finals, have created an immense hype: the Spurs are favourites with a star like Victor Wembanyama, but the Knicks haven't won the league since 1973 and this is their first finals since 1999, and have a strong team led by Jalen Brunson that has already thrashed the Philadelphia 76ers in the East Conference final.
The popularity is being felt in ticket prices, which have reached record numbers for the NBA Finals. Games 3 and 4, played at New York's Madison Square Garden: the cheapest tickets cost 7,200 dollars for a last-row seat, while some even reached 77,000 dollars on resale sites, according to EFE.
Brunson even joked that those prices are what he would pay for a "Michael Jackson concert". For a star who earned 34 million dollars per year, it may not mean much, but fans feel they are being left out. The use of resale places with no price cap (which has also affected FIFA World Cup) means that watching sports live is becoming a luxury many fans cannot afford, especially if they intend to go with their families.