Whether you’re throwing on a Mammoth hat for NHL action at the Delta Center, returning downtown for a Jazz game, diving into college football with the Utes and BYU or cheering on Real Salt Lake at America First Field, there is one common denominator. Utahns are paying more to be fans of their favorite teams — no matter the sport.
Lawmakers are shelling out $900 million in tax dollars to help fund a sports and entertainment district around the Delta Center. (And even more if Salt Lake City lands a Major League Baseball team.)
At the college level, schools are asking for more to help cover the cost of paying players in this new era.
Around Utah, the Jazz, Mammoth, RSL, as well as BYU and Utah football all saw ticket hikes of varying levels.
Even if you never leave the house, the great unbundling has split your favorite team’s schedule across multiple streaming services.
As the college football season kicks off — with NHL and NBA seasons soon to follow — here’s a look at just how much it costs to root for your team these days.
Utah Mammoth
The Utah Mammoth quickly became one of the hottest tickets in town during their inaugural season. The shiny-new-toy element to the NHL team had fans willing to pay a higher price.
Last year’s season tickets ranged from around $3,000 for upper-bowl seats and above $10,000 for lower-bowl seats. While the Mammoth offered discounted ticket programs with Smith’s and Moxie for $10 single-view upper-bowl seats, the lowest get-in options can go from $40-75 for two-goal view seats. The average get-in price was around $180.
Avremi Zippel has been a Jazz season-ticket holder since 2015, and took a chance on a Mammoth package last season because he got early access. Zippel got four upper-bowl tickets for the Mammoth and renewed for this year; there was a “really small,” incremental increase, he said.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fans watch from behind the net in the upper bowl as Utah Hockey Club plays the Seattle Kraken in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
“I think that this fan base is willing to fork out for a competitive product. I think it really did kind of create a real allure around attending games — even for a guy like me who knew very little about hockey last October,” Zippel said. “I renewed for next year. And if they asked me to sign up now for the next five years and pay in advance, I probably would.”
Kyle Finneman echoed a similar sentiment. He has two upper-bowl seats for the Mammoth and pays $90 each. Finneman said he has noticed the pricier side of the NHL, but it has been worth it so far. Initiatives like the Mountain Menu — Delta Center hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn and nachos for $3 each and Dasani bottled water for $2 — help make the experience more affordable when Finneman brings his kids, he said.
For fans who are unable to attend games in person, Smith Entertainment Group offers SEG+, which includes streams of both Mammoth and Jazz games for $174.99 annually. An individual yearly subscription for Mammoth+ was $69.99 last year.
(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)
It is not cheap to be an NHL fan, and it is something that the new Mammoth faithful are grappling with as they try to support their new team. Tim Phillips, who opted for half-season tickets, has seen the effect.
“When I went to the meet the team event last year, I just remember looking around and being like, ‘It sucks, because 90% of the people in this building will not be able to afford tickets most likely. Hockey is a blue-collar crowd. I was really worried that they would price them out. And a lot of them did. You see on the Facebook fan pages, people are like, ‘Well, I saw how much the season tickets cost and I will never ever be able to afford that in my lifetime,’” Phillips said.
“But I also knew that the team has to make money and they were only able to sell around 11,000 seats at full price. For me, it was worth every penny because I was seeing NHL hockey 10 minutes from my house. I kind of would’ve paid whatever they were going to charge.”
Utah Jazz
Travis Cayaffa had Jazz season tickets for around six years and canceled them after last year. He had row two Toyota Club seats and enjoyed the overall experience — all-inclusive food, parking and other perks — but decided against renewal.
“They were trying to lose every game. I’m a Jazz fan. I’m not a Lebron James fan or a fan of superstars. I don’t care about going to see other teams. I want to see the Jazz win. They’re going to purposefully lose and then raise ticket prices? It just didn’t sit right with me,” Cayaffa said. “The increase wasn’t the driving factor of me not renewing. The main factor was they tried to lose every game last year.”
The Jazz, who finished last season with a 17-65 record, did raise season ticket prices for some lower bowl seats next year. The average ticket price for the 2024-25 season, according to Barry’s Tickets, was $218. But fans can usually get in the door for between $20 and $160 without a ticket package.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz fan C.J. Martinez carries his concession food of choice before taking in the night’s game against the Orlando Magic at the Delta Center on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023.
Zippel has held onto his upper-bowl Jazz tickets for now. He was grandfathered in and has 12 seats in the upper bowl, he said. Since he got them in 2015, Zippel estimates the price has quadrupled.
“I think a lot of us are questioning the wisdom of the investment at this point. I’ve been a season-ticket holder long enough that I remember when there was a substantial increase and the season-ticket holders got an email,” Zippel said. “The justification for the increase was it was the first time the Jazz were substantially paying the [salary cap] tax. The concept was, we’re putting a really good team out there on the floor, so this is the cost. I think a lot of us understood that. And we’re wondering what the flip side of that is now.”
Additional costs of merchandise — jerseys can go up to $139.99 and start at $34.99 for adult t-shirts — and streaming platforms — the annual Jazz+ charge is $125.50 — is consistent with the overall increase in sports prices across the state. The currently poor NBA product, though, has made it harder to digest for some fans.
“I think now I’m just too far in it. It has been six years. I kind of want to see the rebuild through. It is definitely different from when we first bought,” said Finneman, who also has Jazz lower-bowl season tickets.
“I feel like sports are becoming way more expensive over the past years. In the college scene, NIL and valuations mattering so much in sports. I feel like it used to sports was, ‘Hey, let’s take the whole family.’ Even with the Bees, it is hard to take the whole family unless they’re really cheap tickets. I think the dynamic of sports is changing.”
University of Utah football
University of Utah football fans are paying more to see their team again, too, ahead of the Utes’ second season in the Big 12 conference. The average Utes ticket price on the secondary market right now is $108.50, according to Sportscasting.com.
The impact varies by section for season ticket holders at Rice Eccles Stadium. Parts of the upper bleachers and sideline bleacher tickets are going up by $10 per seat. The portal north end zone bleachers saw an 11% increase ($540 to $600), as well as rows 58-63, which went up from $990 to $1,100.
Premium corner bleacher seats had an 8.1% increase, the north end zone bleachers above the portal had a 6.8% increase and the terrace seats in the south end zone went up from $1,690 to $1,950 (15.4% increase).
Rice-Eccles Stadium has a wide variety of concession options. You can get a hot dog for $6, fried pork belly burnt ends for $11, or a chicken strip basket for $13. Prices go up to $14 for a tri-tip steak sandwich and $15 for a California burrito. Bottled waters go for $4 and souvenir sodas are $7.
The majority of the Utes’ games are streamed on ESPN+, which fans can subscribe to for $11.00 per month or $119.99 per year.
BYU football
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU fans as BYU hosts Texas Tech, NCAA football in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
BYU football fans paid more to watch their team last year at LaVell Edwards Stadium than they ever have before. The increase is tied both to the team’s jump to the Big 12 and the program’s improved performance on the field.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the cheapest tickets (economy end-zone seats) cost above $100. The most expensive seats went up to $3,000, a $1,000 bump. The average BYU football ticket for the 2025 season is $105.50. The Cougars have seen their average get-in prices go up by 210%, according to Sportscasting.
Nonetheless, BYU football tickets for the 2025 campaign quickly sold out. The student all-sports passes for the “Roar of Cougars” section also sold out, even though the price jumped from $200 to $225.
“The demand in Cougar Nation for tickets is unprecedented,” BYU Athletic Director Brian Santiago said recently on BYUtv. “It even surprised us, the demand. We knew there was heightened demand. We didn’t know that it would rise to these unprecedented levels.”
Concessions inside LaVell Edwards Stadium provide price options for the crowd. Stands like Fan Fare Franks have hot dogs for $4.50 and ice cream for $5.25. BYU Creamery has burgers for $11 and fries for $6, while Stadium Signature serves pretzels for $6.95 and caramel popcorn for $10.00
Most of BYU’s games are streamed on ESPN+, with the same $11 per month or $119.99 per year subscription rates.
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is demanding more for its product, too.
The most expensive seats in the house are part of the KeyBank 100 Lions Club, which costs $11,340 ($945 a month for those on a payment plan.) The cheapest premium seating is the Zions Bank Club Seats, which are $2,250 with a $188 payment plan.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Real Salt Lake fans walk to America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
General seating has cheaper options. The highest renewal average per game (average ticket price per game for season ticket holders who choose to renew their tickets for the next season) are for the east field seats for $100; the renewal for the season is $1,800. The tickets in the 233, 234, 235, 204, 205 and 206 sections are $19 renewal average per game and a $342 renewal plan.
The average get-in price, according to the team, is $47.35.
Cayaffa, who recently canceled his Jazz season tickets, has kept his RSL package in the Lions Club.
“They keep raising prices as well. I had six tickets, and I dropped two going into this upcoming season. Every season, there seems to be a slight increase,” Cayaffa said. “Very few fools are stupid enough to pay what I pay for Real Salt Lake.”
For fans not at the games, an MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is needed. The pricing is $14.99 per month or $49 for a season subscription. Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per month or $39 for a season subscription.