New Era, Higher Costs: Lakers Raising Ticket Prices for 2026-27

The Los Angeles Lakers are going through drastic changes following the sale of the team from the Buss family, who bought the team in 1979, to longtime Los Angeles Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter, who recently purchased the storied NBA franchise for a record-setting $10 billion.

Along with the Lakers’ front office set to be modeled after the Dodgers, which has already begun with Lon Rosen replacing Tim Harris as president of business operations recently, Walter and company will be doing something Lakers fans won’t be too happy about.

Lakers Set to Drastically Raise Ticket Prices

Mark Walter Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Lakers — Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter reacts after game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers will be raising the prices for tickets starting during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The first sign of new Lakers owner Mark Walter seeking a return on his investment after purchasing the franchise at a $10 billion valuation became apparent this week when the team sent out renewal forms to season-ticket holders.

Going into the 2026-27 season, the Lakers have a steep price hike planned for their tickets.

Apparently, the Lakers’ brass confirmed this price hike in a statement sent to ESPN about rumors of the change, which has caused some outrage amongst fans who already feel the prices are too high for games at Crypto.com Arena.

"We are adjusting season ticket pricing for next season," the statement said. "The updates reflect the current market landscape and demand."

One glaring example of how much these season tickets will be raised moving forward is someone who sits in the 300 level and is seeing a price hike of nearly $3,000, via McMenamin.

Another longtime Lakers season-ticket holder, with seats in the 300 level, contacted ESPN and showed documentation of an even more exorbitant price increase to keep his tickets. The season-ticket holder in the 300 level had the price for his seats jump from $6,192 in 2025-26 to $9,035 for 2026-27; the price in 2024-25 was $5,494.

It was already difficult for Lakers fans to afford tickets to games, but now it’s on another level entirely, which tends to happen when there is a change in ownership.

Given that season tickets are costly, it’ll be interesting to see what ticket prices are from game to game during the 2026-27 campaign.

Potential Game-Changing Summer Ahead for Lakers

Obviously, having superstar Luka Doncic as the new face of the franchise brings a different appeal to the Lakers, which could get an even bigger boost if Los Angeles lands fellow superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade this summer.

Even though prices are going through the roof to see this team live at the start of the Mark Walter era, the new owner's track record shows he’s more than willing to pay a premium to build a winner. He’s been incredibly successful with the Dodgers since 2012, with three World Series titles and one of the most star-studded MLB rosters headlined by superstar Shohei Ohtani to prove it.

Only time will tell how things pan out with Walter at the helm, as the price hike isn’t ideal, but the result might be worth it, starting with what could be a game-changing summer for the Lakers.