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Just how much can you save on NFL tickets?
As much as $306, or 76% off the average secondary market price.
Granted, that number varies greatly depending on where, when, and how you buy your seats.
But generally speaking, you can save up to…
- 41% by forgoing Week 1 games
- 51% by getting the cheapest available seats (instead of averaged-priced)
- 15% by choosing the right ticket site
- 20% by waiting until a week before the game (as opposed to one month)
It’s important to realize two things about the above figures:
- They’re not mutually exclusive. That is, after saving 41%, you can save 51% off of that amount, and so on.
- These are again, average numbers. Given the volatility of NFL ticket prices, your actual results can vary greatly.
Read: NFL Ticket Prices by Team: Top Surgers & Slumpers in 2023
In view of these facts, your so-called savings can seem vague & theoretical. But with the U.S. inflation rate at a 40-year high, you can’t afford to bank on theory now, can you?
But before we get to how much money you can save, first you should know…
How much do NFL tickets cost?
The average secondary market price of a single NFL ticket in 2021 was $402 per TicketIQ. That figure represents a 3% increase from 2020, 62% from 2019, 87% from 2018… you get the picture.
Why do we use secondary market costs as a benchmark?
Because the average NFL fan has no chance to buy tickets at face value.
Accordingly, now that you know how much NFL tickets really cost, you’ll realize just how much money you can really save.
Most Expensive NFL Games of 2023
How to save 76% on NFL tickets
Based on Las Vegas Raiders secondary market ticket prices from 2021, you really can save that much.
To enumerate, we’ll start with $938*, which was Vivid Seats’ average resale price for the Ravens at Raiders week 1 matchup:
- You decide to buy tickets for the Bears-Raiders game (Week 5) instead. With an average cost of $665* on Vivid Seats, your Week 1 differential savings is $273 (29%).
*Source: thespun.com
Notably, prices for opening week NFL games are historically higher than for the rest of the regular season. Indeed, this was especially true in 2021:
| Avg. cheapest ticket (Week 1) | Avg. cheapest ticket (Weeks 2-18) | Difference |
| $196 | $141 | $55 (28%) |
- Instead of an average-priced seat, you opted for the cheapest available ticket on Vivid Seats, which cost $284 on Sep. 7, 2021. This $381 difference (57%) brings your savings to $654.
- Moving along, your next step is to forego Vivid Seats in favor of a ticket reseller with historically lower prices. In this particular example, TickPick’s price of $262 was $22 (8%) less, for a total of $676.
- Finally, you wait until Oct. 3 – one week before the game – for one last price check. TickPick’s cheapest listing is now $225, which is $37 (14%) less than the $262 price recorded 26 days earlier.
Total saved: $713, or 76%.
Summary
- The average fan has little or no access to face value costs. Thus, when calculating how much you’ll save or spend, you need to consider secondary market pricing. Read: The Truth About NFL Ticket Prices.
- Timing is everything. You may not save $713 but knowing when (and when not) to buy can make a huge difference. Read The Best Time to Buy NFL Tickets.
- Finding cheap NFL tickets is like searching for inexpensive air fare. Do it right and you’ll save big money; do it wrong and you’ll just waste time. Read: How to Find the Cheapest NFL Tickets.
- Certain ticket sites have better prices than others. The idea is to find the reseller that has the cheapest tickets for your team.