NBA promotion shows slow ticket sales for in-season tournament

When the NBA created their in-season tournament, they were hoping for greater interest in early-season games - and an exciting weekend of games in Las Vegas for the semi-finals and finals, happening Dec. 7-9. But given the extremely generous offer of four tickets for the price of one, the league is officially worried about having empty seats at their new showcase.

Tickets aren't cheap for the semi-finals. The lowest-priced tickets for sale start at $128 but top out at $342. If you're getting four tickets, suddenly those prices look pretty good.

There are reasons for slow ticket sales. First, ticket buyers don't know who's playing yet. If the Lakers, Bucks or Warriors make it, that should boost sales. The Orlando Magic or Sacramento Kings, not so much. The in-season tournament is also new and complicated, where some players don't understand the rules and fans have trouble following the standings.

There are also plenty of rivals for entertainment dollars in Las Vegas, including home games for the Las Vegas Raiders and Vegas Golden Knights that same weekend. There's also everything else in Las Vegas, from casinos to concerts. And it's certainly possible that sales will pick up as the game approaches.

With the NBA paying out huge prizes to players - $500K to players and head coaches on the winning team, $200K for second-place finishers - it doesn't look like the NBA is going to cover the prize pool with ticket sales.