March 4, 2015
(UPDATE 5/20/15) For the first time since since becoming the Atlanta Hawks, the franchise will host an NBA Conference Finals game. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be held on Wednesday night at Philips Arena. On the secondary market, Hawks playoff tickets have an average price of $376.90 and a get-in price of $79 for Game 1. Prices will be 44.8% more expensive for Game 2 on Friday night with an average price of $546.10 and a get-in price of $109. Hawks tickets are currently listed at crazy prices for the non-guaranteed games later in the series. Both Games 5 and 7 currently have an average price above $1,000.
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The Atlanta Hawks have officially clinched a playoff spot. With 48 wins heading into Wednesday night, the Hawks have 10 more wins than the next best team in the Eastern Conference. While they have only clinched a spot, it would take a significant slump for Atlanta to not finish the season as the No. 1 seed.
Atlanta has been to the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons, but have not gotten past the first round since 2010-11. Still over the past three seasons there has been a significant premium for Hawks tickets in the playoffs compared to the regular season on the secondary market. In 2011-12 the Hawks had an average price of $93.09 in the regular season and a $125.48 average in the first round, a premium of $34.8%. Prices dropped both for the regular season and playoffs in 2012-13, however the premium was higher. The average price in the regular season was $87.98 with a playoff average of $122.77, a premium of 39.5%. Prices increased greatly for 2013-14 with an average price of $108.73 in the regular season and $174.07 in the playoffs. That was a playoff premium of 60%.
Over the past three seasons, the Hawks’ average playoff premium for the first round has been 44.8%. Using that average with Atlanta’s $152.93 regular season average in 2014-15, playoff tickets in the first round this season would have an average price of $221.44.
Playoff tickets have not yet been released by the Hawks, but it would not be surprising to see both high prices and premiums on the secondary market. Atlanta still has nine games remaining at Philips Arena this regular season with a $177.20 secondary market average price.
