Playoff tickets pricey but a comparative bargain, expert says

Joe Cassitto is paying close attention to the prices people are willing to pay to be inside Quicken Loans Arena to watch LeBron James lead the Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors in Games 3 and 4 the NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinals.

Cassitto is head of broker relations for Tick-Pick, a New York City-based company that competes in the same business arena with Flash Seats, StubHub, Vivid Seats and other online secondary ticket marketplaces.

TickPick is doing brisk business with tickets for Game 3 on May 5 and Game 4 on May 7. Tipoff is 8:30 p.m. both nights.

The Cavs have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, putting them in a compelling position to win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for a fourth straight year.

Cassitto said prices the online market currently is bearing for Games 3 and 4 of the Cavs-Raptors series, while much higher than prices for regular-season games, represent a solid value for two reasons.

First, securing those tickets gives bearers the opportunity to watch James performing at perhaps the highest level of his Hall of Fame career.

“The NBA is a player-focused league, so the Cavs having LeBron is extremely important for driving the success of that franchise,” Cassitto said.

Second, the so-called “get-in prices” for Games 3 and 4 of the Cavs-Raptors series compare well to getin prices for the other three playoff series unfolding in those cities and arenas.

The get-in price is the lowest cost for a single ticket listed by the teams or secondary ticket marketplaces.

As of late afternoon May 4,.the get-in prices for Games 3 and 4 at The Q were $79 and $68, respectively.

Get-in prices for Games 3 and 4 of the other series were: $114/$109 (Boston at Philadelphia), $89/$79 (Houston at Utah) and $70/$58 (Golden State at New Orleans).

Top-end asking prices at all four Game 3-Game 4 venues were much higher,

including $2,500 for one courtside seat at The Q for Game 3 and $7,900 for another.

Cassitto said individual season-ticket holders as well as corporations and brokers who have large blocks of tickets use TickPick and other secondary marketplaces to find buyers for their tickets.

“People are looking to make a profit from their association with the Cavs as ticket holders,” Cassitto said.

Buyers can be avid fans with average incomes working at the lower end of the price spectrum. Or, they can be individuals of means and companies willing to bid for or buy outright tickets priced at the top end.

Cassitto said Cavs fans are savvy buyers at playoff time.

“They’ve been there and done that,” Cassitto said.

“Their team has gone to the Eastern Conference finals and (NBA) Finals three years in a row. Especially with LeBron playing like he is, they expect the Cavs to get back there again. They won’t be as aggressive getting tickets for second-round games as fans will be in other markets.”

Which isn’t to suggest fans of the Cavs and James are backing off altogether from buying tickets for Games 3 and 4. Cassitto said buys on TickPick for those games have come from across the U.S., Canada and outside North America.

“LeBron is that big of a draw,” Cassitto said.