LAST UPDATED ON NOV. 16, 2024 AT 3:31 PM | 4 MINUTE READ
When it comes to NFL ticket prices, there are many perceptions and misconceptions.
After all, reselling sports tickets is a multibillion-dollar industry, and it didn’t get that way by undercharging.
Indeed, the process of buying NFL tickets online has become a virtual minefield for unsuspecting consumers.
Henceforth, you can consider me your minesweeper as I attempt to set the record straight on the secondary ticket market and NFL ticket prices.
With this in mind, let’s start with the myth that…
Face value tickets are available to anyone
How much does it cost a family of 4 to attend one NFL game?
In theory, this is true. In reality, however, the average NFL fan has little chance of getting tickets at face value. To wit:
- According to a 2017 Gallup poll, about 57% of the U.S. population are NFL fans.
- Up to 72% of the average NFL stadium capacity – about 50,000 seats per game – is reserved for season pass holders, media, corporate sponsors, etc.
- For the estimated 185 million NFL fans in the US, that leaves a mere ~320,000 (16 x 20,000) seats available on a weekly basis. If you’re calculating, that comes out to a .17% (.0017) chance of you or I scoring a single game ticket at face value. In fact, you have a better chance of becoming a millionaire.
- Furthermore, it gets even worse. The majority of the remaining tickets are snapped up by ticket bots, thus ensuring that the average fan is all but shut out.
“Fans say the secondary ticket market is rigged against them – revealnews.org
MORE ON FACE VALUE NFL TICKETS.
NFL ticket prices – what you see is what you get
When shopping for NFL tickets online, the price that you’re initially shown is typically not what you’ll end up paying when all is said & done.
Super Bowl Ticket Prices Are Super High
That is, a combination of service, convenience, & delivery fees (even for mobile tickets) could tack on as much as an additional 35% in the end.
NFL ticket resellers are all the same
Specifically, by “all the same” I’m referring to prices. It stands to reason that since various ticket sites are selling the exact same thing, prices would be similar, if not the same.
However, this is hardly the case. Rarely will you see identical listings among ticket brokers. Notably, the difference is frequently considerable. As a matter of fact, the average difference between the most & least expensive ticket listings for 2024 was $55.60.
To emphasize, a difference of $56 – for the same or similar seat – is 37% of the median NFL cheap seat price.
To further hammer home the point, here are a couple of more extreme examples:
| Lowest Price | Highest Price | Difference (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans at Kansas City (Week 5) | $206 | $386 | $180 (87%) |
| Dallas at San Francisco (Week 8) | $344 | $577 | $233 (68%) |
| Based on median cheapest available ticket prices, including fees |
When is The Best Time to Buy NFL Tickets?
NFL ticket prices are determined by supply & demand
Of course this is the case, isn’t it??
Certainly, the flip side to ticket brokers charging $500+ for in-demand games is that there’s also the games that no one cares about. Conceivably, you can get dirt-cheap tickets late in the season for certain contests.
But hold on to your butts… It should be remembered that TicketMaster was once guilty of imposing arbitrary price floors to prevent the resale of tickets for below face value. And while that may or may not still be the case, it’s unsettling all the same.
Find the Ticket Site with the Best Price for Your Team
Conclusion
- For the majority of NFL fans, the secondary ticket market has become the primary.
- NFL ticket prices vary wildly – from week to week, team to team, and site to site.
- There’s a bad time and a good time to buy NFL tickets.
- Ticket sites with “no service fees” aren’t necessarily cheaper.
- NFL ticket sites are not all the same. The best ones will regularly offer the cheapest NFL tickets.