Lakers Significantly Hiking Season Ticket Prices for 2026–27 After Franchise’s Sale Last Summer

The Lakers are perhaps the most historic franchise in the NBA and, until last summer, were one of the league’s true family businesses—with all of the warts that entails. Jerry Buss bought the franchise in 1979, and his family stewarded the team through its 11 most recent NBA championships.

Los Angeles’s leading family cashed in last year, however, as Jeanie Buss sold her majority stake in the franchise to investment manager Mark Walter, who also owns the MLB’s Dodgers among other sports investments. Walter had been a minority owner of the franchise but had a right of first refusal to buy the Buss family’s majority stake, and did so last year.

While it was initially reported that Buss would remain the franchise’s governor for the foreseeable future, that timeline is now expected to be “up to five years at most” and as the 2025–26 season winds down, Walter’s fingerprints are already on some moves being made by the Lakers, and not the ones that the average fans want to see.

As highlighted by Rob Perez, a prolific NBA personality on social media, Los Angeles season ticket prices are set to spike ahead of the 2026–27 season. Without sharing where his seats are or the price level that he pays, Perez revealed that his ticket prices are going up 14% and that the franchise is ditching the payment plan options that allowed fans to spread out payments without an extra fee. Now, fans who don’t pay in full will be subject to a 3% fee.

Just got my Lakers season ticket invoice. They are not only raising prices next season 14% (for my section), but are also adding a 3% "Admin Fee" if you don't pay in full.

5-month and 9-month payment plans were available for recent previous season, without a % penalty. pic.twitter.com/e9dlf0xPL7
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 21, 2026

An unnamed Lakers season ticket holder with seats in the 300 level—the furthest from the court at Crypto.com Arena—told ESPN that his rate increase is even more drastic, going up 45.9% from $6,192 for 2025–26 to $9,035. That drubs the already sizable 12.7% increase from $5,494 that he paid in 2024–25.

"We are adjusting season ticket pricing for next season," Los Angeles said in a statement to ESPN. "The updates reflect the current market landscape and demand."

An email sent to season ticket holders announcing the new prices sold fans on the ability to see next year’s team led by the Lakers’ star trio of Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves—even though James will be a free agent this summer and, while Los Angeles is reportedly interested in bringing him back, could head elsewhere or retire.

The Lakers remain one of the NBA’s biggest draws and, at least officially, there are few empty seats for any L.A. home game, but this kind of ticket price increase is a good way for new Walter-led ownership to quickly ostracize its franchise’s most dedicated fans.

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