Posted by: Richie Bernardo

Americans love basketball. How much? Let’s put it this way: It has a fanbase that exceeds the population of Spain. And on the business side of things, it’s growing. Today, the average NBA franchise is worth $1.36 billion and draws additional revenues from TV partnerships, merchandise sales and, as of 2017, advertising on NBA team uniforms.

So it’s safe to say — considering the tens of millions of people who declare their affinity for basketball and the billions of dough we shell out in its name — that we’re a little more than crazed about the sport.

But what defines a good basketball city? Top-performing teams, revenues and traditions are all part of the equation, of course, but there’s simply no game without the fans. And the city itself should encourage attendance and engagement. That means, for instance, making stadiums accessible or keeping ticket-costs affordable — at least for a time.

With basketball fans in mind, WalletHub crunched the numbers to find the best spots in America to love on your favorite sport. We compared 293 of the largest cities based on 17 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility. Read on to find the full list of winners, a ranking by city size, commentary from a panel of experts and how we ranked the cities.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/11034/geochart-basketball.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2rfmSif;  

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	‘Teams & Performance’ Rank	‘Costs & Fan Engagement’ Rank
295	Grambling, LA	6.26	296	140
296	Hackensack, NJ	6.18	286	283
297	Clinton, SC	5.60	289	295

Ask the Experts

Showing team spirit can get pretty expensive. For advice on proving our loyalty to our favorite teams while keeping our spending in check and insight on certain basketball-related matters, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise?
2. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan?
3. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why?
4. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank?

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• Timothy Chartier Associate Professor at Davidson College
• Scott A. Andresen Founder of Andresen & Associates, P.C. and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University
• Michael Mudrick Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the Hospitality, Recreation & Sport Management Department at York College of Pennsylvania
• Michael Hutchinson Assistant Professor of Sport and Leisure Commerce in the Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management at The University of Memphis
• Melissa St. James Associate Professor of Marketing at California State University Dominguez Hills
• C. Keith Harrison Associate Program Director and Associate Professor of Sport Business Management in the College of Business Administration at University of Central Florida
• Joe Cobbs Assistant Professor of Sports Business in the College of Business at Northern Kentucky University
• Jim Peach Regents Professor and Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business at New Mexico State University
• Dave Torromeo Executive Director of the Sport Business Management Program in the School of Business at Manhattanville College

Timothy Chartier Associate Professor at Davidson College Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? Like many things in life, there is uncertainty in either direction. Here are the pros for each: NBA rosters are already loaded with European players and the sport itself is more portable than American football. The NFL has had successful games in London demonstrating an appetite, over the pond, for the game. The cons: While basketball is more global than football, a professional basketball league already exists in Europe and hasn’t seen the success of the NBA. In the NFL, the World League from the early 90s failed. If asked to pick, we’d give the nod to the NBA but either way, expanding the league into Europe introduces huge logistical challenges for either sport. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? The DNA of a perfect basketball is

• One part former athlete (even as a child) to appreciate the athleticism;

• One part sports analyst to appreciate the unpredictability and the improbable;

• One part die-hard fan to take you through the winning droughts;

• One part court smarts to appreciate calls in the moment that go against the norm;

• One part diplomat who can be a courteous and respectful fan even in the heat of the moment.

How much of each part? There isn't just one way to be perfect! What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? We turn to analytics. Our model accounts for arena size, metro population, average ticket prices (adjusted for standard of living), and winning percentage last season. The top support is:

• Golden State Warriors (Oakland);

• Cleveland Cavaliers;

• Chicago Bulls;

• Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City);

• NY Knicks.

Note, this captures demand even on struggling teams. The NY Knicks didn’t win many games, but ticket prices were high. And, it also captures smaller markets where attendance is high relative to the city’s population with the Utah Jazz appearing in the list. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? Don’t want to break the bank but want to see good basketball? Find a school/town like Davidson where you can see A10 ball -- and in some cases, future NBA MVPs -- for a fraction of the cost of an NBA ticket. No matter where you are, you can find good college basketball that should be relatively affordable and enjoyable. One other tip: I use TuneIn to listen to the home call of Davidson games when I can’t be there and it’s a great way to feel like you’re at the game. And it’s free. Scott A. Andresen Founder of Andresen & Associates, P.C. and Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? Setting aside the logistical and time zone difficulties of incorporating a European franchise into an American-based league, I believe that the NBA would likely have a better chance of adding a viable European team. First and foremost, the sport of basketball seems to generally be “embraced” by the Europeans more than American-style football. Second, it is a lot easier to fill an 18,000-seat basketball arena than a 50,000+ seat outdoor stadium for a football game. Unfortunately, many of the costs of operating a game are fixed, regardless of whether 12,000 or 50,000 fans attend a game -- leading to considerable financial difficulties for a football team with poor attendance. Though the NFL has had some success as of late with their games in London, I wonder aloud if attendance would continue at such high levels based on the performance of prior, long-term ventures into the European market (e.g., NFL Europe). What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? What makes a “good” basketball fan differs depending on who you ask. If you ask the NBA, a “good” fan would be a season ticket holder who has a closet full of NBA licensed apparel. If you ask a college program, it would be someone who donates to the scholarship fund, buys season tickets and has a closet full of university-branded apparel. High school programs would likely be thrilled with someone who attends games and takes out a small ad in the game program. Setting aside the revenue streams generated by any particular fan, I believe a “good” fan is someone who passionately supports their team of choice and financially supports the team via ticket and merchandise purchases to the extent they are able. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? It is impossible to say what city is the best for basketball fans. In general, a winning team makes for great attendance and television viewership. To that end, I am not aware of any Chicago Cubs-like fan base in the NBA that has passionately supported a team during extended periods of losing. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? In an age where the average ticket price to attend an NBA game is frequently over $100, it is very difficult for an average family of four to attend a game when ticket prices, parking, concessions, etc. are taken into account. Semi-pro, college and high school programs can offer great game-day experiences at a fraction of the cost. But, if the NBA game is your preference, sometimes the best viewing experience is in one’s own home on a comfortable couch with ready access to food, beverage and bathrooms. Michael Mudrick Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the Hospitality, Recreation & Sport Management Department at York College of Pennsylvania Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? While basketball is certainly more popular in Europe, I think logistically, the NFL would be more likely to add a European franchise. We've seen the league actively increase the amount of games in London each year, which indicates a sincere level of interest in expanding the product to that market. In addition, you have to consider the travel component. While still arduous, it appears to be a bit more acceptable for NFL teams to make the trip because they only play once a week. For teams on the west coast, this is helpful. I can't imagine that would bode well with NBA teams in general, but particularly west coast teams, given that they would have to travel back to the USA for another game a day or two later. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? I don't think there's anything in particular that makes a good basketball fan. A fan is a fan no matter the sport. A good fan supports the team regularly, which can be through numerous behaviors -- having knowledge of the game, going to games, watching/listening on television/radio, reading about team/league news, sporting apparel, or collecting merchandise. A good fan is loyal to the product, regardless of wins and losses. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? That's a really tough question. From my perspective, it is difficult to assign a "best" city. Would it be the fan base that makes it toughest for the opposition? It sure is tough to win in Golden State. That's a bit subjective, though. Is it the most loyal fan base? The Knicks still sell out, even though the franchise has been abysmal. While it has a loyal fan base, part of it also is it's New York City and Madison Square Garden, so games are a hot ticket. Even during some lean years, Boston has had a strong, supportive fan base. When you couple that with all of the success the team has had in its history, a case certainly could be made for Boston. Still, this is a difficult, yet fun question to answer. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? One option would be to get NBA League Pass. For the past season, you could pay $200 and get televised access to every single game in the league. When you consider the regular season is 82 games, this would appear to provide solid value. This pass gets fans access not just for television, but on their computers and phones, too. Another option would be to just rely on a basic cable package. With games on ESPN and TNT multiple nights a week, in addition to weekend games on ABC, almost every night a fan is presented with a primetime NBA matchup. Michael Hutchinson Assistant Professor of Sport and Leisure Commerce in the Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management at The University of Memphis Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? Both the NFL and NBA have made a variety of efforts to expand into Europe. Currently, it seems that the NBA would sooner add a European franchise than the NFL. Keeping in mind that the sport of soccer (futbol) is by far the most popular sport, basketball seems to maintain more popularity than that of American football. This is evidenced in part by the existing structure of professional basketball leagues that already exist. It is also common for post-high school American basketball players (ages 18-22) to play professionally in Europe rather than competing at the intercollegiate athletic level in the United States; this is also true for post-college American basketball players who have yet to develop the skills necessary for NBA competition and desire to enhance development of such skills. Beyond the popularity consideration, the NFL has not historically been successful in European expansion. For instance, NFL Europe -- a European expansion venture backed by the NFL -- did not prove as prosperous as hoped in garnering consumer interest and engagement. While NFL Europe served mostly as a means for player development -- and thus not touting elite professional players -- its 17-year stint did not meet the desired outcome with regard to anticipated interest and engagement from European consumers. While there are many other micro-level considerations, these are the two primary observations that lead me to believe the NBA would be first in offering a European franchise. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? A good basketball fan -- and really any sport fan -- is one that can easily adapt to change and maintain team loyalty amidst ongoing changes. Basketball -- like other professional sports -- experiences changes at both the macro- and micro-level. From a macro-level perspective, for example, the collective bargaining agreement can create new and different policies (e.g., salary cap and luxury tax modifications), the NBA can modify existing rules of play (e.g., 2016-2017 season changes for fouls away from play), franchises experience ownership changes, and the indirect impact of profit maximization (e.g., 2017-2018 season inclusion of sponsorship patch on jerseys). From a micro-level perspective, for example, player and coaching turnover is common, team rebranding occasionally occurs for marketing purposes (e.g., logo and color scheme), and team styles of play may vary depending upon player and coaching composition. With this in mind, all NBA fans should be open to an array of potential changes. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? For basketball fans seeking to enjoy the sport without breaking the budget, it is important to rank what is most valuable in NBA team consumption. For example, those desiring to be season ticket holders may elect to spend more of their discretionary income on seat location and less on concessions and/or merchandise purchased on site at the arena. Prior to game arrival, fans may consider eating at home or at a food establishment away from the arena that will cost less than on site concessions. Likewise, merchandise purchases will almost invariably cost more on site than at other retail or online distributors. As another example, fans who opt not to purchase season tickets but enjoy the in-game experience may want to consider game packs or mini plans. This will still allow fans to attend select games; often with the option of choosing specific opponents. Ultimately, fans should designate how much discretionary income is to be spent on sport consumption, with the aim of identifying the most valuable components of consumption. Melissa St. James Associate Professor of Marketing at California State University Dominguez Hills Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? I found this question to be particularly interesting. My immediate response was the NBA, because there are quite a number of Europeans playing in the NBA so I assumed that that meant it is a popular sport and might be readily accessible in the minds of European fans. Also, the venue for basketball is much more easily accommodated in small spaces as opposed to NFL football stadiums. Europe always strikes me as being focused on space issues/concerns. Another thing that popped into my head is the idea that football is such an American sport so perhaps that might make it less interesting to Europeans. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? This question was a little bit more difficult, as I'm not exactly sure what you are asking. My take on it was that you mean what makes a fan a good fan and obviously a winning team makes for more loyal fans in many cases. The Lakers Etc sell-out outrageously priced tickets because they are such a good team and they have a loyal following. So I suppose the fan qualities would be loyalty, enthusiasm, and, unfortunately, money. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? In general, any large city with a venue could be good for basketball fans if there’s a team there. Specifically, I would choose cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, particularly because the teams are fairly consistent winning teams which, of course, makes for happy fans. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? I like this question. One of the big drawbacks of any professional sport is the price of attendance. I know that Petco Park here in San Diego created the park within the park where you can buy very cheap tickets and sit on the grass, have a picnic and watch the game. I thought that was an amazing thing to make the games more accessible to people, especially families. Another way fans can enjoy the games might be what the Padres have done as well and selling season tickets in various proportions; full season, half-season, quarter season etcetera. As a Padres fan, I share a half season ticket package with someone else so I pay half the price and then we go to games according to who can make which games and it usually works out pretty well from year to year. C. Keith Harrison Associate Program Director and Associate Professor of Sport Business Management in the College of Business Administration at University of Central Florida Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? NFL. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? Passionate and one that loves the diversity of the players and the game day experience of the venue. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? San Antonio, just attend a game there one time and you will know why. I went to two games during the same week in January, amazing fans. OKC would be my second choice, great experience as I was there in March 2016. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? Buy the cheapest ticket and enjoy all the social spots and food and beverage locations at the venue. In present day society, the fans do not have to be in their seat the entire game to enjoy the experience as there are TV's all over the arena, at the restaurants and eating locations within the arena. Joe Cobbs Assistant Professor of Sports Business in the College of Business at Northern Kentucky University Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? While the NFL has done a good job with the public relations around their London games, the NBA is more likely to add European franchises. By some metrics, basketball is the world's second most popular sport. The influx of European players into the NBA after the Dream Team in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 has popularized the league around Europe. As a result, the NBA and the sport of basketball has a major advantage compared to the NFL and American football, where almost all the players are from America. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? That's a tough question. Being a basketball fan obviously means different things for different people. However, I would say a good fan appreciates both the athleticism and mental side of basketball. A good fan also follows their team year-after-year but also appreciates good basketball played by opponents or other teams. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? For college basketball, it is tough to beat Cincinnati. Yes, I live there but it's the home of a fantastic Crosstown Shootout in Xavier vs. University of Cincinnati, and with Northern Kentucky University joining March Madness this past season as well, Cincinnati residents were treated with three tournament teams within a 10 mile radius! Though I'm sure Philadelphia residents would like to debate that question. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? College basketball is a good affordable option but the D-League now also provides a viable option for some decent basketball viewing as a spectator. The NBA's developmental league has grown immensely in the last few years and most teams now have a direct affiliation with a NBA franchise -- many being owned by their NBA parent club. In regard to the NBA, the move to dynamic pricing by most teams has opened up some affordable tickets for certain games that may be lower in demand by other fans. Jim Peach Regents Professor and Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business at New Mexico State University Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? The NBA has a better chance of adding a successful franchise in Europe than the NFL. Familiarity with the game is the key. Europe already has professional basketball and the game is played widely by young Europeans so there is already a large group of potential fans. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? Loyalty to a particular team and knowledge of the game are probably the two most important characteristics of a good basketball fan. Being a fan, of course, is not always a rational act. Sometimes we inherit being a fan from parents or others, sometimes geography plays an important role, sometimes we may be attracted by a particular star player, and occasionally a fan just likes the colors of a team’s uniforms. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? The obvious choices for the best basketball city for fans are Boston and LA, because of their long traditions and historical rivalries. Two more cities should be on the short list: Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Neither of these cities is a large market area but both the Thunder and the Spurs have great attendance and intensely loyal fans -- win or lose. My pick is Oklahoma City because in most years they play exciting basketball, and despite numerous sellout games, tickets are still accessible. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? There are no really inexpensive tickets for NBA games. If you are not satisfied with TV or digital broadcasts, pick a game on a weeknight when your team is not playing one of the better teams in the league. Ticket prices from scalpers just outside the arena tend to drop just before the game starts. Even though this secondary market is often not legal, it is almost always available. Just be careful. Dave Torromeo Executive Director of the Sport Business Management Program in the School of Business at Manhattanville College Do you think the NBA or the NFL has a better chance of successfully adding a European franchise? Given the logistics, the nature of the sports and the number of games played, I would have to say that the NFL will be more likely to have a team based in Europe. A football team, with one game a week, in Europe could spend the first 6 to 8 weeks on a home schedule and not have to travel to the states every other week. While this is still feasible for an NBA team, it will be much more difficult for scheduling purposes, four to five games with different teams, not only for the team based in Europe but for teams from the states going back-and-forth. I believe both leagues are sincerely interested in this market however. What, in your mind, makes a good basketball fan? Well, I'm a bit "old school." I like to watch good solid basketball skills. I enjoy college basketball and evening women's basketball, as they play probably the purest form of the game. But I would say to answer the question that a good fan is knowledgeable of the game, keeping current on what is taking place, but also having a knowledge and deep respect for its history. What do you think is the best city for basketball fans and why? Interesting. I have a problem with what I call "front runners." These are teams that fans have shown up really only when they win. As bad as the New York Knicks have been, the city of New York has supported them with attendance and in other ways such as television viewership, merchandise sales, etc. There is also a ton of college basketball being played in the New York venues. But I would also say that Boston is a decent NBA city, for the same reasons. But when I read about players looking forward to come play in the "Mecca," "The world’s most famous arena," I would have to say New York. Even though the Knicks are terrible to say the least. Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank? Well, the games are clearly covered on television. But in terms of attending a game, I think the best way really is to examine the secondary market, StubHub, etc. because sometimes you can get a good last minute deal because people are unable to make a game or something to that effect. If it's a product other than the NBA, the D league has a very decent product is a very good price and of course there's always college and high school basketball.

Methodology

 

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