As the NFL season kicks off and the MLB postseason looms, Senator Bernie Sanders is turning up the heat on America's richest sports owners. His message? Stop pricing everyday fans out of the stands.
In a fiery post on X, Sanders highlighted the staggering wealth gap between team owners and the fans who fill their stadiums. "31 out of 32 NFL owners are billionaires. 26 out of 30 NBA owners are billionaires. 26 out of 30 MLB owners are billionaires. Your tax dollars helped build their stadiums," he wrote. "But today, the average person can't afford the price of a ticket to a sporting event. That must change."
The senator's comments strike a chord with many fans who have watched ticket prices soar in recent years. From nosebleed seats to parking fees, a family outing to a game can now cost hundreds of dollars—if not more. Sanders argues that public subsidies for stadium construction should come with a guarantee that games remain accessible to the communities that help fund them.
Unsurprisingly, his proposal drew swift backlash from critics who question the economics. "Honestly I don't think it's crazy for taxpayer money to go to the stadium," one user replied. "It's something used by the public, many of them hold plenty of events besides their sport, and they bring in revenue to the City." Another added, "Bernie Sanders wants cheaper tickets, highly paid players, billion-dollar stadiums and apparently less money from billionaire owners and taxpayers. Okay. Who pays for all of it? These stadiums cost billions. Somebody has to put up the capital and somebody has to take the risk."
The debate isn't just theoretical. Just 24 hours before Sanders' post, tennis fans were fuming over the price of a grounds pass for day one of the 2026 US Open, which had jumped to $363. Journalist Simon Chambers called it "an outrage," while investor Bill Ackman pointed out that the USTA, which owns the tournament, is a non-profit. "The idea that a day one ground pass is $363 is absurd," Ackman tweeted. "The USTA's mission is to promote the sport of tennis. How is a $363 ground pass consistent with this mission?"
While NFL and MLB tickets may be cheaper than a Grand Slam day pass, they're still a luxury for many families. The average price of an NFL ticket hovers around $150, and MLB games aren't far behind—before you factor in concessions, parking, and souvenirs. For a family of four, a single game can easily top $500.
Sanders' call comes amid broader conversations about the future of sports broadcasting deals and how revenue flows through the industry. With teams earning billions from TV contracts and sponsorship, some argue that ticket prices should reflect that wealth—not the other way around.
Others point to the irony of Sanders' focus on ticket prices while some players, like Shedeur Sanders, face their own battles over performance and perception. But for the senator, the issue is simple: sports are a public good, and the public shouldn't be priced out.
Whether Sanders' pressure will lead to actual change remains to be seen. But his message has reignited a debate that won't go away—especially as fans continue to feel the pinch at the gate.
