Game On! The Cost of Being your Team’s Biggest Fan

Being loyal a loyal fan can cost some serious cash. We aren’t saying these costs aren’t worth it, for many these costs are non-negotiable and are just part of supporting your team. Finding out how much you spent last year on your favorite sports team, or teams, can be surprising. Some of the most popular sports-related expenses are detailed below. To figure out how much an average sports fan would spend annually, we can take a look as common costs that most fans splurge on throughout the year below.

Apparel

A shirt, two hats and maybe some gifts for the wife and kids can run about $300-500 a year. Sports memorabilia such as signed balls and bats are still around, but sports team apparel is the hot ticket these days. Sports teams have branched out to women, children, babies and even pets to allow fans of all shapes and sizes to show their loyalty. With so many options, it can be almost impossible to pass by the apparel kiosks without picking something up. The good news is clothing isn’t something reserved for game day or at an event. You can show off your fun team purchases all season.

Tickets

Two to three baseball games or one or two football games can on average cost close to $500-$1000 a year. Going to sports games is the ultimate for hard core fans. The cost really add up for one day out, but for most fans is a special event. If you are attending just a regular season basket ball or baseball game with tickets at around $20-30, you need to factor in parking, food, and drinks. Football tickets on their own can run for about $75-100 for basic seating and can add up fast.

Sports Bar Tabs

Four to five games out with friends to watch the game can cost about $100 to 200 a year. If you can’t make it to the actual game, rallying with others at a sports bar can be fun and really pump you up for your sports team. In theory, this seems like you might save a buck or two by heading to your local watering hole, but after endless pitchers, chicken wings and fries for hours, it can really add up.

Cable

Monthly Costs for basic cable and possibly a sports package will be about $300-500 a year. Having your buddies over to watch the game is pretty much expected. These days, you must have access to the right networks, and sometimes even a season pass to a specific sport to tune in to your teams. Ranging from a basic cable package to premium all access channels in HD, this is a cost that every sports fan will pay up for in order to ensure they can watch their teams with up to the minute coverage.

Adding up these basic costs will run you at spending about $1,500 a year, on average. Of course, if you are flying to Hawaii for golf tournaments, or score seats to the Superbowl, these costs will go way up. But for average Americans, this average chunk of change adds up fast. The bottom line is if you can afford it, and you are having fun, why not treat yourself to supporting your team. It does add up but if you are loving every minute of and sports is very much a part of your life, then keep doing what you love!

Sarah writes about sports for all pro and loves watching all the games.