How to Buy Tickets for an NBA Game in Toronto

Toronto is one of Canada's sporting capitals, thanks in large part to the Maple Leafs' success in the NHL, but also to the Raptors' strong NBA campaigns. As frequent entertainers in the world's best basketball league, they hold the status of being the only non-US team to be crowned champions and are currently the only foreign franchise in the organisation.

If you plan to visit Ontario's capital between October and April, you'll be able to catch NBA regular season games, and between May and June, you'll be able to catch the play-offs. Either way, attending a Raptors game is one of the best things to do in Toronto. Here's everything you need to know to enjoy this fascinating experience.

The NBA is one of the most popular sporting events in the world and, as a result, buying tickets for NBA games can be an ordeal. However, there are several ways to get tickets, although each of them has its own particularities and different difficulties.

Buying tickets on the official Raptors website

This is the conventional option, although you can hardly find tickets on the Raptors' official website. The NBA has a season ticket-based preseason sales system, so seats are sold at the start for every game of the year. If there are leftover seats, the franchise markets them online, although tickets are not usually offered for sale, except for the remainder of the most expensive seats.

Buying tickets from online ticketing platforms

Tourist service providers are usually the ones in charge of selling most of the tickets for the matches, so buying tickets on online sales platforms is usually the most advisable and also the safest option. On these platforms, you will generally be able to get seats for all sectors of the stadium and also get discounts by combining several experiences in the city. Just check the seller's reputation.

Buy tickets from authorised resellers

The last-minute alternative is to buy tickets from authorised resellers, although you should be aware that this is a risky option. In this case you should carefully check the seller's reputation, make the transaction through specialised websites and bear in mind that prices will generally be higher. It can be useful to get adjacent seats if you buy at the last minute, especially if you plan to visit Toronto with children or family.

Buy tickets at the stadium box office

This analogue option is still available at NBA arenas, although tickets for games are rarely on sale at the box office, as they tend to sell out in advance. Moreover, it is an alternative that will waste your time in long queues, will not ensure that you will attend the games and will force you to accept whatever seats you are offered, whatever they may be. It's not recommended, but first of all, it can give you last minute hope.

Prices are as varied as the alternatives that determine them, as ticket costs will depend on seating location, the Raptors' opponent, the NBA instance being played and even the date and time of the game. In the league, as in other entertainment, prices are dynamic and determined by supply and demand, so it is difficult to establish a fixed rate.

However, as a general rule, in the NBA you can get tickets from as little as 30 euros in peripheral locations, while the sectors close to the floor can be well over 900 euros. There are also VIP sectors at over 1,000 euros per ticket, although it is difficult to get a seat in these locations unless you plan to visit Toronto in January or during the off-season.

Also note that play-off games tend to cost more than regular season games, where you will have a better chance of getting cheap tickets, as long as you don't mind watching the game from the farthest sections.

The different types of tickets depend on the chosen location. The Raptors play their games at the Air Canada Centre, one of Toronto's most famous multi-purpose arenas, where the city's NHL team, the Maple Leafs, also play, and because of its size, it offers many different seating options.

The cheapest tickets are those that offer seats in the higher parts of the stadium, away from the playing field and with an open but swooping view. If you opt for tickets in locations closer to the parquet you will see an increase in costs, although, it is fair to say, the experience will be substantially improved, especially because of the proximity you will have with the real protagonists, the players.

The only locations at the Air Canada Centre that have a separate entrance from the rest of the stadium are those in the VIP section, which is located right next to the playing field and entitles buyers to enter without queuing.

On game days, the Air Canada Centre is closed to the general public, so you won 't be able to see it under those circumstances, but you will be able to see it outside of the sporting calendar. In that case you should go to the official website of the stadium and book a guided tour to see the interior, the stands, the locker rooms and also learn about the construction and importance of this venue in Toronto.

Another alternative to get to know the interior of this multi-purpose stadium is to attend one of the musical concerts that are frequently organised there. Artists such as Lady Gaga, U2 and Oasis, among others, have performed at the Air Canada Centre.

Note that you can also visit the stadium if you plan to attend an NHL ice hockey game of the Maple Leafs, the local team that is also one of the league's all-time winners.

There are no discounted tickets to watch a Raptors NBA game, but since rates are dynamic and depend on supply and demand, there are a few strategies you can follow to get better prices on seats to an NBA game in Toronto.

Buy tickets for lower demand games

If you really want to get into the spirit of the crowd during the NBA sporting spectacle, then you won't mind attending a lesser game on the Raptors schedule. This could be a game against a team that is not a direct rival in the playoff standings or it could coincide with a bad moment for the franchise, a circumstance in which the crowd's depletion is evident.

Buy tickets for games during the week

This strategy can be ideal, especially if you plan to visit Toronto for 3 days or even less, and need to find cheap tickets on a specific date that coincides with your busy schedule. Outside of the weekend, tickets are cheaper, especially if the games do not start in the evening but are played at dusk.

Buy tickets in upper or side seats

This strategy often works for cheap tickets, especially in stadiums as large as the Air Canada Centre, where the differences in seating are notorious. If you are happy to watch the game from the higher seats or from the sidelines, where the view is often limited, you can get cheaper tickets, even on last-minute purchases.

The NBA's policy on children's tickets varies widely and depends on the franchise. As a general rule, children under 2 years of age who enter the arena accompanied by an adult do not pay admission, but above that age the criteria is very broad.

However, since attending an NBA game is one of the best things to do with children in Toronto, many tour operators offer adjoining seats for family groups at discounted prices. This will allow you to enjoy the game with your family and save money.

Keep in mind that if you buy tickets in advance online you will get better prices than if you book at the last minute and once you are in the city. Also consider that if you plan to visit Toronto in the summer, a time that coincides with the NBA Finals, demand increases substantially due to the peak season.

The main answer is that in the NBA it is very difficult to get tickets at the box office. While the tradition of offering remaining tickets before the start of the game continues, all games are usually sold out in advance, so if you opt for this alternative you will have a good chance of being locked out of the stadium.

However, even if tickets are available at the ticket office, this will be time-consuming, you will have to wait in long queues and, as prices are dynamic, it will be more expensive. If you choose to buy in advance online, you will be able to secure your seat, get discounts and enjoy better final fares.

Also, if you book in advance, many tour providers will offer discounts for other activities in Toronto, such as taking part in the city's best tours, sailing on a cruise excursion on Lake Ontario, or even flying over the city on a helicopter flight over Toronto.

NBA games, which follow their own rules, which are different from those of FIBA, have a total duration of 48 minutes, divided into four quarters of 12 minutes each. However, you should bear in mind that the playing time is usually longer, as you must add to the net time the minutes of rest between quarters, commercial breaks, half-time shows and time-outs.

Also, consider that, in the event of a tie, games are settled in overtime that exceeds regulation time, so on average an NBA game can last between 2.5 and 3 hours. However, attending one of these games is not only worthwhile, it is also one of the best things to do at night in Toronto.

In conclusion, keep in mind that it is difficult to determine the exact duration of an NBA game, so I advise you not to make plans that require you to adjust your time after one of these shows.

The NBA calendar states that the regular season runs from October to April. Outside of these months, the conference champions and league finals take place between May and June, so if you want to catch a Raptors basketball game in Toronto, you'll need to visit the city during this time frame.

However, franchises often host pre-season and post-season games, so even in other months of the year you might get lucky and find the team's games, although this is random and depends on the organisation each year, with no specifics.

NBA games are a spectacle in themselves, so if you want to enjoy a complete experience, you will have to consider all the details. Based on that, here are some recommendations that might be useful:

Don't delay your arrival at the stadium

If you finally get tickets for an NBA game, try to arrive early. The Air Canada Centre is a big arena and a mistake at the gate could cost you 20 or 30 minutes, so you'd better have enough time to deal with these issues and get comfortable in your seat before the opening show starts and the teams take the court.

Taste the food from the carts

An American tradition is to experience the whole show, food included. You won't have immersed yourself in the NBA experience until you've sampled the culinary options on offer at the concession stands on game days, which often range from burgers and fries to gourmet options.

Experience NBA fever

If you're attending a Raptors game, don't be shy! Wear their colours, paint your face, sing at the halftime shows and celebrate every point as if it were the final one. This will allow you to enter the passionate atmosphere of basketball in North America and participate in the communion generated by the NBA's inexplicable show.