Beer Prices At NBA Arenas

The National Basketball Association, better known as the NBA, is the establishment that puts on the basketball games which we know and love in the US.

There are many NBA arenas across the states, each team plays each other to make the NBA league where a winner is crowned after each season.

People love Basketball in this country, and the stadiums draw in huge crowds as the seasons occur.

One thing many often wonder or worry about, if they haven’t been to a game before or a specific arena, is how much the beers cost.

Many fans will already know that beer prices at basketball games, or any sport at the arena, are often hiked up in the interest of either making money or deterring fans from getting too drunk.

But in any case we have gathered some of the beer prices from around the grounds so that you can get a better idea of what is out there.

AT & T Center / San Antonio Spurs

So, let’s start somewhere you may find a beer for a genuinely reasonable price. In Texas, while everything is bigger, the beer prices actually aren’t too bad. 

For a small beer here you will probably be paying around $7 – $8 for a small size of the cheapest beers.

But you could pay anything from $9 – $14 for a craft beer or large beer that is of higher quality and price but you would get a pint of liquid for this price.

This difference is often due to a domestic or imported product.

Madison Square Garden / New York Nicks

So you probably won’t expect the prices at Madison Square Garden to be as low as they are in Texas – and you would be right to think so.

At Madison Square Garden a domestic beer is around $12 and an imported beer is around $13 – $17. Anything you find in the MSG concourse is going to be pricey, though.

But you may want to spend your money on the food rather than the beer, which will remain the same as it is in San Antonio as it is in New York.

Whereas the food at MSG is likely good and unique.

TD Garden / Boston Celtics 

TD Garden is another huge and popular stadium that brings in millions of dollars per game.

You won’t be surprised a lot of this comes from the drinks and the bar, although you may be surprised due to the prices.

A bottle of domestic Budweiser could cost around $8, anything on draft will significantly increase to around $10 for a short half pint, or around $12 – $19.

For an IPA or imported pint of beer. This is pretty high and similar to MSG.

Golden 1 Center / Sacramento Kings

The Golden 1 Center remains one of the newer stadiums in the US, and the NBA, and is home to the Sacramento Kings.

The NBA games here bring many wily fans who want to get a buzz on before the game starts, but how much will it set them back.

Even though this is a new stadium the prices remain essentially the same, with Texas remaining much cheaper as a state.

In this Californian stadium you could be paying up to $15 dollars or more for a large craft beer, or around $13 for something domestic and small.

FedEx Forum / Memphis Grizzlies

It seems that the southern states stay true to their mantra and have much better hospitality, or at least cheaper, than their northern rivals.

The FedEx forum is a sports facility used for many different events, one which attracts the most attention and money is the NBA games.

Here you can expect to pay a more reasonable price for your before game beers.

A domestic beer that is small is around $8 – $9 whereas a more imported and high quality beer can be up to $15. The larger beers contain more so could be better value for your buck.

Moda Center / Portland Trail Blazers

You would imagine in a state like Oregon that prices may reduce, but the trend here seems to be sports centers rather than basketball or the states.

We may just have to accept the true reality that beer prices will always be higher when the games are on. 

At least in the Moda Center, according to local fans, you can now get a beer for under $10.

A concession stand on the 300 floor offers beer prices ‘that’ll never leave you disappointed’ and you can indeed pay under $10 for a beer.

Elsewhere though, you may have to spend up to $20 for something imported, but most of the drinks remain around $10 – $16.

Final Thoughts

So as you can see, the beer prices in these sports centers. It seems the general rule is that most sports stadiums and the like usually beef up their beer prices. 

Many fans wonder why this is, do they just know there are more people coming through the gates? Or could it be to deter fans from getting too drunk?

We all recognize those images of all the fans getting drunk in the parking lot – now we know why, it’s cheaper.

Even from the lights of New York and the sights of the Nicks to somewhere like Oregon, prices don’t change that much. It seems San Antonio, on a given day, is usually the cheapest.

But surely the Budweiser doesn’t taste any different in New York than it does in San Antonio, so the truth behind these large markups remains a mystery.

Our tips are to spend your money on the food which will change per stadium and can offer some bang for your buck, rather than wasting it on beer whose value doesn’t match what you pay. 

The stadiums seem to have issues with people drinking in the stadium, unless you are willing to offer your arm for a pint of beer.

So we would suggest doing this before if you want to get a buzz before the ball hits the court.

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Andrew Carr

Hi, I’m Andrew Carr and I find beer fascinating. Not just drinking it (although that is a plus!) but everything about it. There is so much to learn - the fermenting process, the best glasses for each type, recipes to make at home… The list goes on!

I have been making my own beer for almost a decade now and I pride myself on my home setup. I’ve made sours, pale IPAs, stouts - you name it, I’ve probably made it in the comfort of my own home.

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