The arrival of LeBron James at the Philadelphia 76ers has had a huge effect in the team, which will translate in revenue. As reported by Front Office Sports, the 76ers will go from having 14 matches broadcast on national TV in the United States, to 34 matches, which is the maximum allowed, across ABC/ESPN, NBC Sports/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video during the 2026/27 NBA season.
When James announced he would leave the Lakers, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted that they would not finish the schedule until knowing where James would play; such is the star-power the 41-year-old has in the league. The team that has James also has much greater visibility on national TV, as well as featuring prominently in the biggest dates, like opening week and Christmas.
Another sign of the "LeBron James effect" is that tickets are soaring. Just for a preseason match against the Boston Celtics, tickets were being sold at $271 at the cheapest (even without knowing it James will play), while the average price for a regular season game in Philadelphia was $68 last year.
Last year, the Philadelphia 76ers ended in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, but LeBron James saw the potential of a team that also features Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, and is aiming to win their first championship in 43 years.
And even if LeBron James will reportedly not live in Philadelphia, but in New York City, The Boyd Company estimates that his presence at the team will generate an additional $250-$430 million in regional economic activity in the area.
