Did you just drop a few hundred bucks or more going to a professional sporting event over the weekend? You're not alone. Consumers shelled out $56 billion to attend sporting events over the past year, according to a new study by CreditCards.com. The amount includes the cost of tickets, transportation, and food and drinks. By way of comparison, that's more than double the $27 billion-plus that Americans spent on book purchases in 2015, according data from the Association of American Publishers.

Ty Montgomery of the Green Bay Packers celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field on September 10, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Getty Images

"The fact that people are spending this amount of money on sporting events shows the emphasis they're putting on experience and memories instead of just stuff," said Matt Schulz, senior industry analyst for CreditCards.com. Separate data from TeamMarking.com shows the average 2016 cost to attend a National Football League game for a family of four was $502.84. The amount includes four tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking and two cheap hats. That compares with $363.58 for a National Hockey League game, $339.02 for a National Basketball Association game and $219.53 for an Major League Baseball game. "There's no question that many sporting events – especially big ones like NFL or NBA games – are becoming harder for the average working American to afford," Schulz said.

Category of spending Percentage of American adults who spend on it Total U.S. annual spend ($billions) Average annual spend per participant Sporting events 34% $55.90 $710 Athletic equipment 29% $33.40 $487 Gym membership fees 23% $19.20 $354 Sports-themed video games 12% $8.00 $273 Race entry fees 8% $4.80 $254 Fantasty sports leagues 4% $2.30 $251