Each year, millions of sports fans worldwide travel to attend domestic and international matches, planning the entire weekend around away games. However, their passion for sports costs much more than it did just a few years ago.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, sports fans shell out an average of $1,500 per trip, and nearly 40% do it for football matches.
Game Ticket Makes Only One-Fifth of the Trip Cost
The average cost of attending a sports match in another city or country has swollen over the years, but that hasn’t stopped sports fans from traveling across the country or abroad. In fact, it seems that sports fans travel for matches more than ever today, despite the hefty price tag that comes with such a passion. According to Expedia and a Censuswide survey conducted among sports tourists in February, the average spending on a sports trip hit over $1,500 in 2025, and match tickets make up only one-fifth of that figure.
Statistics show event tickets are the smallest cost in planning a sports trip, averaging around $300 in 2025. A sports fan will pay around $120 more for a plane ticket ($420) and $180 more for accommodation (around $480), while additional activities cost around $370 per trip.
Analyzed by sports, football fans are the most willing to spend their money. According to the survey, 36% of respondents attended a football match during their last sporting event trip, nearly five times more than any other sport. Baseball ranked second with a 7% share among respondents, while basketball, American football, and ice hockey closely followed, with a 6% share each.
Analyzed by country, Britons, Germans, and Mexicans mostly travel because of football matches. As expected, American sports fans will travel because of the NFL game, but surprisingly, the Japanese will do the same for a baseball match.
85% of Sports Fans will Travel for a Match this Year, 60% for Two or More
Sports ticket prices have increased significantly in recent years because of higher demand, flexible pricing, and teams trying to make more money. Big events like the Super Bowl and Premier League have seen particularly sharp increases, making it harder for many fans to afford a ticket.
​For instance, Super Bowl LIX tickets in 2025 ranged from $4,719 to over $56,000, way up from the previous years. Premier League clubs have also raised prices, with some season tickets going over £1,000. Despite that, sports fans are still willing to splash the cash to watch a match live in the stadium. The Expedia and Censuswide survey showed nearly 85% of sports tourists plan to attend a sporting event in the next twelve months, while almost 60% plan to make two or more such trips.