For $100 per month, Golden State Warriors fans can now purchase mobile passes that will give them access to all Warriors regular season home games at Oracle Arena. The caveat is that the tickets do not include seats, or even views of the court.
The team sent an email to fans earlier this week introducing the “In The Building Pass,” which is available from November until the regular season ends in April. The mobile pass gives fans access to bars and restaurants within the arena, and fans can watch the game on televisions in the venue’s club area. An individual can purchase a maximum of four passes, and their subscription will automatically renew every month unless they opt-out.
Fans can access the passes through the ticketing section on the Golden State Warriors official mobile app. According to ESPN, a Warriors spokesperson said the team plans to sell 200 passes each month throughout the remainder of the regular season, but the passes will not be available for postseason games.
If a fan using an In The Building Pass is one of the first 10,000 people to enter the arena, they will also be eligible to receive Warriors game night giveaways as well as a potential upgrade to a seat for that game. If a fan buys a pass and is not able to attend a specific game, they can transfer it to a friend via email.
SportTechie Takeaway
There are currently 44,000 people on the Warriors season-ticket waiting list according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, while the team has an ongoing streak of 300-consecutive home game sellouts dating back to December 2012. Before the start of the 2018 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs released a mobile pass that gives fans standing-room only access to every home game for a monthly fee of $44.50. The Warriors are charging more than double that for their mobile pass, despite not offering an actual view of the action on the court. The team did not say whether the mobile pass will still be offered to fans when the Warriors move into their new San Francisco home next season.
The significant price difference between the Warriors and Spurs’ monthly mobile pass is likely due to a combination of the Warriors current reign of dominance in the NBA, as well as the inflated standard-of-living costs associated with the Bay Area. By inviting fans into the arena to watch games on TV and patronize in-stadiums bars and restaurants, the Warriors are furthering the belief that the modern sports viewing experience is just as much, or even more, about socializing with other fans than watching the actual game.