Knicks Fans Pick Second Row Over Courtside

Ultrawealthy fans are increasingly buying second-row Knicks seats instead of the pricier courtside seats at Madison Square Garden.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a New York Knicks player in blue and orange driving toward the basket above a blurred, color-blocked arena crowd. — Wealthy Knicks fans are increasingly buying second-row seats at Madison Square Garden, which cost about a third of courtside prices, as courtside access grows scarcer. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you pay more for courtside seats at a live sporting event?

Ultrawealthy Knicks fans are choosing second-row seats over courtside seats, with second-row purchases on StubHub roughly three times as high as courtside sales. Second-row seats cost about a third of courtside prices and sit just behind Celebrity Row.

Why it matters

Courtside seats are limited in number and are partly occupied by team benches and broadcast tables, while second-row seats are slightly less expensive and easier to obtain. The shift reflects how access to the most exclusive seating at Madison Square Garden is changing for high-end buyers.

Courtside resale tickets were listed above $13,000 on SeatGeek, while second-row seats were listed at just over $7,100. StubHub data shows second-row purchases running roughly three times higher than courtside sales, though the underlying volume figures were not disclosed.

The players

Mike Novogratz

Mike Novogratz is a financier and cryptocurrency investor who buys Knicks tickets from Andrew Murstein.

Andrew Murstein

Andrew Murstein is a season-ticket holder for the Knicks who sits in the second row and sells tickets to Mike Novogratz.

MSG Knickerbockers

MSG Knickerbockers is the program that dispenses courtside seats at Madison Square Garden to A-listers and former players.

The details

Mike Novogratz buys Knicks tickets from season-ticket holder Andrew Murstein, who sits in the second row. The number of front-row seats is limited because team benches and broadcast tables take up courtside space, and MSG Knickerbockers dispenses courtside seats to A-listers and former players.

A few weeks before the Knicks' first home game this season, SeatGeek recorded courtside and second-row resale prices.
On November 4, 2026, the Wall Street Journal published its report on second-row seat preference.

Market Landscape

Premium seating in the secondary ticket market is splitting between the highest-priced courtside tier and the adjacent second-row tier, with buyers on SeatGeek and StubHub increasingly favoring the latter. This pattern shows exclusivity being pursued through proximity rather than the very front row alone.

Fans shopping the resale market can find second-row Knicks seats for roughly one-third the cost of courtside tickets, which makes that tier a more accessible option for seeing the game close to the action. Buyers should weigh the reduced price against the limited availability of front-row inventory on secondary platforms.

The takeaway

Premium seating demand is moving toward the tier just behind the most exclusive spots, and buyers seeking close-up access may find better value in second-row inventory than in courtside tickets.