Broadway posts record $1.91 billion season as plays lift box office
The Broadway League said ticket sales hit a record in 2025-26, helped by pricier plays and celebrity-led limited runs.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Broadway ended its 2025-26 season with nearly $1.91 billion in ticket revenue, the highest total the industry has recorded, according to The Broadway League. The result adds to evidence that many consumers are still paying for live events despite inflation worries and broader economic uncertainty.
The trade group said the season exceeded the prior record. After accounting for an extra week in the previous season, Broadway grosses rose 3.5%, attendance increased 1.8% and average ticket prices were up 1.7%, according to The Broadway League.
Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, said in a release that Broadway stayed close to last season's pace despite a tough economic backdrop, citing the industry's durability and audience attachment to productions.
The numbers arrived before Sunday's Tony Awards, a key sales moment for the theater business. CNBC reported that Tony wins often translate into stronger box office demand for successful shows.
Ticket prices test affordability
The average Broadway ticket cost $131 during the season, according to the industry data. CNBC reported that a family of four attending a musical could spend more than $500 on tickets before travel, food or other costs, with premium seats pushing the total higher.
Live entertainment has remained a strong category even as consumers have cut back in some discretionary areas, CNBC reported, citing demand for concerts, sports and theater. The Federal Reserve's April Beige Book for the New York district also said Broadway ticket sales remained strong.
The higher prices come as producers face rising costs to mount productions, CNBC reported. Broadway producer Jim Kierstead said producers are paying closer attention to project economics, including recognizable titles, established audiences, limited engagements, casting and future revenue from touring, licensing or international stagings.
Plays and stars drive growth
The season brought 35 new productions to Broadway: 12 musicals, 21 plays and two specials, according to CNBC. Three of the four nominees for best new musical were based on existing intellectual property: the Apple TV series “Schmigadoon,” the film “Lost Boys” and “Titanique,” a parody tied to “Titanic.”
Broadway's recent growth has leaned more on plays with major celebrity names than on new large-scale musicals, CNBC reported. In the final week of the season, which ended May 24, the industry took in $40.7 million across 40 productions, and a revival of “Every Brilliant Thing” starring Tony-nominated Daniel Radcliffe led ticket sales, according to The Broadway League.
CNBC reported a similar pattern in the previous season, when limited-run plays featuring George Clooney, Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal topped the box office. Those productions can support premium ticket pricing while carrying different cost and risk profiles from new musicals.
Attendance at plays rose nearly 14% this season, while musical attendance fell 4.7%, according to the industry figures cited by CNBC. Plays also had the higher average ticket price, at $139.55, compared with $128.83 for musicals.
The 21 plays that opened during the season grossed about $463 million combined, more than twice the total from two seasons earlier, CNBC reported. It was the second straight season in which plays topped $400 million in revenue.
Kierstead said, according to CNBC, that Broadway's long-term health depends on keeping productions financially workable while remaining accessible to audiences. He warned that the industry suffers if theatergoers conclude prices are out of reach.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.