On May 1, Beijing time, according to the US media "New York Post" reported that the Nets' home barclays center has suffered serious losses this season, and the expected loss is 50 million to 100 million US dollars, which is also the highest loss among all teams in the NBA.
The Nets averaged $2.1 million in ticket revenue per home game in the regular season this season, ranking fourth in the league, up more than 100 percent from their last season before covid-19, the 2018-19 season, when they averaged just $1 million per game, tied for the top spot on the growth list with the Suns.
After Durant and Irving joined, the Nets' ticket revenue did increase, but the problem is that the team's overall spending has also increased significantly. And although Durant and Irving belong to the league's top stars in terms of personal ability, their box office appeal is not top-notch.
For example, the Nets' city rivals, the Knicks, do not have big stars, and have not even made the playoffs this season, but their ticket revenue per game is as high as $3 million, still far ahead of the Nets with Durant and Irving. The Knicks sold an average of 16,000 tickets per game, up from the Nets' 15,000. The Nets have spent as much as $174 million on salary this season, 48 percent more than the Knicks. It is precisely because of the huge gap between the two sides that some people also believe that the Knicks are still the king of Basketball in New York.
The Warriors, which are closer to the Nets in salary expenditure, have averaged $4.2 million in ticket revenue per home game this season, twice as much as the Nets. That is to say, this season, the Warriors' ticket revenue alone is 88.2 million dollars higher than the Nets (each home is 2.1 million US dollars more, a total of 42 home games), plus the playoff Warriors have reached the second round, going further than the Nets, and their final ticket revenue this season will definitely exceed the Nets by more than 100 million.
According to NBA salary experts, the Nets must at least earn as much as the Knicks or Warriors to break even. After Durant and Irving joined, the Nets' revenue has increased, but it is obvious that they are still not among the best teams in the league in terms of athletic performance and income.