10 Most Expensive Sports Tickets Ever Purchased

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What would you give to have been in Beijing as Michael Phelps broke the gold medal record in 2008? Sitting courtside when Michael Jordan made what is known as "The Shot" back in '89 during the Chicago vs. Cleveland playoffs? There are a handful of incredible moments that have gone down in sports history as "you just had to be there" moments. And while it's absolutely possible for amazing incidents to occur during affordable sports events, maybe some people reason that they might be more likely to witness an epic occasion first-hand if the sporting event of their choice costs a pretty penny. And since no one can guarantee when or if a mind-blowing event will go down at a game, hardcore sports fans will have to up their chances by purchasing as many of these pricey seats as possible. Break out the wallet and game on!

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - $513

If your idea of a sport involves Formula One, are you in luck! The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the least expensive of the most expensive sporting event tickets that we were able to find. Of course, if you live outside of the Arab Emirates, you'll have to travel there to attend which will add to the expenses, outside of the ticket to enter which costs approximately $500 per person. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix races have been enjoyed by many since the first race on Nov. 1, 2009.

London Olympics Opening Ceremony (2012) - $4,000

Everyone knows that the most coveted ticket for those looking to score seats to the Olympics is the Opening Ceremony. 2012 saw the Olympics being hosted in London and at the time, Olympic hopeful-observers were willing to pay as much as $4,000 per seat (via eBay) to watch the famed torches light up. If these Opening Ceremony ticket-holders also wanted to watch a sport such as swimming, they would have paid around $700 on top of the Opening Ceremony ticket.

The Masters PGA (2013) - $4,486

Some consider golf to be the "classiest sport" of all and it's likely that these are some of the folks who were willing to pony up the $4,486 bill that afforded one a four-day pass to The Masters back in 2013 according to GQ.com.au. The difference between attending one of these events versus a football game (even with great seats) is that spectators are given the opportunity to rub shoulders with their favorite golf players such as Tiger Woods and Australian golf pro Adam Scott, who happened to win that year. Ángel Cabrera (hailing from Argentina) came in second.

FIFA World Cup Final Germany V. Argentina (2014) - $39,224

Federation Internationale de Football Association otherwise known as FIFA is soccer's world governing body and when it's World Cup time, FIFA fans know little else aside from breathing air than watching the game with baited breath and a burning passion in their hearts. In 2014, tickets to the big game cost as much as $39,224. Fans rooting for Argentina were likely more than a little crestfallen after paying all that money when Germany took the cup.

NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers V. Golden State Warriors (2017) - $133,000

If a close game is what certain basketballs diehards love, in 2017, they had met their match attending the NBA Finals. The year, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against the Golden State Warriors. The game was locked in tight at 129-120 before the Cleveland Cavaliers rode home high with a win. Fans, who paid as much as $133,000 for a single ticket, set their teeth on edge as the final minutes wound down.

Floyd Mayweather V. Conor McGregor (2017) - $157,770

From the get-go, fans knew that they were going to have to pay up to watch boxing legends Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor tango in the ring. But prices for the 2017 fight soared up to as much as $157,770. The fight was hyped to the max with an epic pre-match face-off featuring the two boxers in fancy clothes and adrenaline-pumped fans ate up every bit of the excitement.

NBA Finals, Game 7: Los Angeles Lakes V. Boston Celtics (2010) - $167,146

Certain teams with the NBA have ongoing rivalries. One such well-known rivalry is that of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. So when it came time for these two much-loved teams to battle it out on the court during the 2010 NBA Finals, fans knew to expect high ticket prices. Ticket prices were announced at $57,950 (courtside) but when fans found out that a pair of tickets was the minimum purchase, we have to imagine there was some shock involved. Tickets ended up running as much as $167,146.

Floyd Mayweather V. Manny Pacquiao (2013) - $204,746

Here's not just another super-expensive boxing ticket on this list but another ticket to see Floyd Mayweather fight, at that! Four years before Mayweather stepped into the ring to fight Conor McGregor, he stepped into the ring opposite Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao and Mayweather's fight was touted as the "fight of the century." Unfortunately, many fans felt that the resulting fight didn't live up to the hype and most certainly not to the cost of the tickets which were reported to cost as much as $204,746.

Super Bowl XLVII: Baltimore Ravens V. San Francisco 49ers (2013) - $316,000

Of the ten most-viewed shows in television history, nine of them are Super Bowl games. Small businesses shut down, bars fill to capacity, people host annual parties, halftime shows go down in history (and feed tabloid fodder), and commercials are legendary... all for the Super Bowl. For games with this much muscle, tickets can run as high as $316,000, like they did in 2013.

Chicago Cubs V. Cleveland Indians (2016) - $1,170,000

2016 was a huge year for Major League Baseball. It was the first Fall Classic meeting for the Cubs in 108 years! The Cubs were set to face off against the Cleveland Indians and plenty of people wanted to see this history-making game live and in person. The median listed price was around $2,200 but high-roller seats for this incredible game cost as much as $1,170,000. In the end, Chicago Cubs fans left the stadium overjoyed and flush with fresh boasting rights.

Sources: GQ, Yahoo Finance, blog.barrystickets.com