Knicks ‘printing cash’ with tickets as view from cheapest seat at MSG for NBA Finals gets roasted

The New York Knicks are three wins away from basketball immortality.

A convincing 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals has got the Knicks off to the best possible start.

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The franchise are back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 — with Knicks super fan Spike Lee already backing them for glory.

Game 2 is set for Friday night at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, where 7ft 4in ‘Alien’ Victor Wembanyama will look to even the series for the Spurs

After that, the Finals will switch to Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City for Games 3 and 4, where the Knicks could, theoretically, lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy if they win the next three games of the best-of-seven series.

The Knicks’ ongoing success is just about the biggest story in sports right now, and you better believe the team’s ownership are cashing in on that fact.

Seaport Research Partners analyst David Joyce has given a true insight into just how much money the franchise has made during the playoffs.

The Knicks’ run to the 2026 NBA Finals is on track to generate at least $140 million in gross playoff revenue for MSG, with some saying the Knicks are ‘printing cash’.

Joyce estimates that the Knicks earned roughly $8 million per home game in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks.

They followed that with $12 million per home game in the second round sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers, and $17 million per home game in the Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For the Finals, it is estimated that they will generate at least $20 million per home game, compared to $4 million from a regular season home game.

A major contributing factor to this is ticket prices. The cost of some Game 3 tickets are more than 25,000 times more expensive than it is to go and watch the lowly Mets.

X / @JoePompliano

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Meanwhile, the cheapest ticket at MSG for Game 3 of the Finals is currently going for $7,500.

The view, however, is less than desirable, as the view of the court from up in the rafters is largely obscured by the next tier of seating.

“For $7,500 I better be sitting on the bench drawing up plans,” one fan joked.

“This is likely the most expensive live sporting event in history by average ticket price,” a second added.

“Might as well take a seat on the moon and use a telescope, might be able to afford a trip there at that price,” a third said.

“The TV screen above is the most insulting part, you are literally paying $7.5k to watch it on tv lmao,” a fourth added.

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“Has the NBA or the Knicks ever given an explanation on why these ticket prices are so f****** high?” a fifth concluded.

While MSG tickets are soaring, prices in San Antonio have crashed, with tickets for the opening games of the series falling by nearly 50% after an initial frenzy following the Spurs’ Western Conference Finals victory, according to The Independent.

Knicks’ Finals tickets, on the other hand, will be more expensive than seats at each of the last two Super Bowls, a staggering benchmark that underscores just how wild demand has become.

Despite the cost, the opportunity for Knicks fans to see their team win an NBA championship for the first time since 1973 is a price they’re willing to pay.

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