Play Ball: The Numbers Behind the World Series

As the World Series begins, FOX Business takes an in-depth look at how the host cities can benefit from the national spotlight.

Baseball fans from across the country are expected to travel to Kansas City and San Francisco as the Royals face the Giants in Major League Baseball’s World Series. It’s a big event that comes with a big price tag for fans who want to actually attend the game. According to TiqIQ, which tracks ticket prices on the secondary market, the average price for admission to the series is $1,325: The most expensive since at least 2010. If you want to attend game one in the Royals hometown of Kansas City, you’re looking at a minimum price of $666 a pop, all the way to $13,200. Tickets to the Giant’s first home game on Friday in San Francisco average $1,069 and range from $432 to an eye popping $11,000. Despite the high price to see a game in person, the cities benefit substantially from a spot in the national spotlight. Hotels and restaurants in the Kansas City area in particular are getting ready to accommodate the increase in traffic, as the Royals are playing in the series for the first time in 29 years. The city’s tourism website, VisitKC.com, says every home playoff game will likely bring in $5 million. “If anybody in the Kansas City hospitality business wasn’t a Royals fan already, they will be by the end of the World Series,” Joe DeMarco, Corporate Revenue Manager at the Ambassador Hotel in downtown Kansas City said. “The overall economic impact will be really positive for the city as a whole.” If the series goes all the way to game seven, Kansas City will host four games, including the series finale, while San Francisco will host three of the ballgames. Arthur Bryant’s, one of Kansas City’s legendary barbeque joints sits just 15 minutes from the Kauffman Stadium and enjoys game goers on any given summer night. Eddie Echols, the famed restaurant’s general manager said though the games are expected to bring in fans from across the country, it’s can be tricky to predict just how big of a financial impact they’ll make. “It’s hard to gauge (the traffic) since it’s been 29 years since we’ve been in the World Series,” Echols said. “We’re very excited.” The Royals have made it to the World Series twice in team history, winning it all in their last appearance in 1985. The Giants have enjoyed World Series play 19 times, winning seven of those appearances. Out of the 30 teams in the MLB the Royals rank 19th in terms of payroll, with a total of $92,185,521 and the Giants rank 7th at $149,089,475. The first pitch of game one happens Tuesday at 8:07 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX Sports