The New York Knicks have temporarily paused individual ticket sales for the 2026-27 season after acknowledging that an internal pricing error produced dramatically inflated prices, including a get-in cost of more than $1,000 for the home opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.
MSG Sports announced Thursday that it would stop sales while correcting the issue, then relaunch tickets at last season’s pricing levels with an average increase of 12 percent. Fans who already purchased tickets at the erroneous prices will receive refunds for the difference.
The most glaring example came with the October 20 opener at Madison Square Garden. The cheapest available primary-market ticket reached $1,251, with prices having climbed even higher at points during the initial sale window. Those were not resale-market listings, but tickets being sold directly through MSG, which is what triggered much of the backlash.
The Knicks are coming off their first NBA championship in 53 years and are scheduled to raise the title banner on opening night against a star-loaded Philadelphia team. Demand was always going to be enormous, but the initial prices crossed a line for many fans who had supported the franchise through far leaner years.
MSG Sports admitted the numbers were not intentional.
“Our intention was never to overcharge our loyal fans, and we thank everyone for their support of the Knicks and their patience as we get this right,” the company said in its statement.
Knicks just sent a release recognizing they made a mistake on their ticket pricing this week and “will restart sales with new prices shortly.” Anyone who already purchased tickets will be refunded the difference. “Our intention was never to overcharge our loyal fans.” pic.twitter.com/YLLl53XmoT
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) September 17, 2026
The corrected pricing will still be more expensive than last season, but the increase will now average roughly 12 percent rather than the extreme jumps seen during the initial sale. Ticket sales are expected to resume once the new prices have been loaded into the system.
For the Knicks, the episode is an awkward reminder of how quickly championship success can change the economics around a team. Madison Square Garden was already one of the NBA’s most expensive places to attend a game, and demand has only surged after the title run.
But there is a difference between premium pricing and a mistake that makes the cheapest seat cost more than $1,000.
