Fans cry foul on 'pricey' NBA preseason tickets

MANILA, Philippines - Social media users and sports fans wishing to experience an NBA game played in their own homeland decried the "pricey" tickets to the October 10 preseason event.

The Indiana Pacers versus Houston Rockets game will be a historic first in the Philippines and Southeast Asia as teams that have played abroad rarely do so in the region.

Victor Roque from Ermita, for one, said that hearing the price range of the tickets makes him "cry," while Ivan Manalo from Sampaloc said he would prefer watching PBA games.

While the cheapest tickets at the Mall of Asia Arena venue cost Php550 (Section E), seats a little closer to the ring may make spectators pay through their noses.

A Section D ticket costs Php4,200, each Section C seat is sold for Php8,400, and Premium B passes are worth a hefty Php27,000. The most coveted seats of all, meanwhile, go for Php32,000 each.

Organizers said Section C and D, and Premium A and B tickets come with free Global Games merchandise.

Manila resident Macky Manasi complained that the tickets are too pricey for a preseason game, and would rather if it were a playoff match. Twitter user @rexoshified also agrees.

Others like Paolo Garcia from Manila and Christian Anastacio from Marikina would rather watch basketball superstars like Jeremy Lin and Paul George on television.

Some would not easily give up and might try to find other ways to enter the event.

In the US, average ticket price for a non-premium seat for an NBA game is $51 or about P2100. Prices typically differ depending on the team's popularity and NBA season.

The selling of tickets will commence at 10 a.m. on June 16.

Organizers said a total of 16,000 tickets will be available for sale to the public. The tickets are available for purchase online at www.smtickets.com.