The escalating cost of NFL game tickets, including the Super Bowl, is turning heads. In 2023, a regular season ticket averaged at , showing a steep rise in prices.
The Pinnacle of NFL: Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVIII, hosted in 2024 in Las Vegas, sets a new record with a staggering ticket price of ,000. This ultimate face-off between Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers only exemplifies the escalating cost of being a part of the NFL excitement.
The Effects of High Ticket Prices
These skyrocketing prices not only affect fans but also the players and their families. Some NFL athletes and their families have voiced their struggles to afford game tickets. Among them is Lisa McCaffrey, mother of 49ers player Christian McCaffrey, who confessed that her family wasn't able to afford a suite.
Offering a helping hand, McCaffrey's fiancée, Olivia Culpo, surprised Lisa with a Super Bowl suite for her birthday. Not all players' families were as fortunate. Donna Kelce, mother of Chiefs player Travis Kelce and Eagles player Jason Kelce, also found it challenging to afford Super Bowl tickets. Instead of a suite, she had to settle with a spot in the stands.
Voices Against High Prices
Voicing the same sentiment, Sydney Warner, wife of 49ers player Fred Warner, highlighted that home and away game tickets are not free, but offered at a discounted rate. Interestingly, Travis Kelce took a lighter approach to the issue, joking about the high Super Bowl ticket costs on his podcast.
On the other hand, Kylie Kelce, Jason's wife, didn't mince words in her critique. She openly criticized the high cost of children's tickets for Super Bowl LVII in a documentary. Speaking about his times, former Broncos player Britton Colquitt, talked about the costly tickets during his Super Bowl in 2016, emphasizing that even infants weren't spared.
No Easy Solution
Amid the challenges, 49ers player Christian McCaffrey's mother, Lisa McCaffrey, discussed how securing tickets was a battle due to high prices. The high costs forced Christian's friends to host a watch party elsewhere rather than attending the game.
Chanen Johnson, wife of Saints player Juwan Johnson, clarified that there's no free “family room” in the stadium, and suites command prices between ,000 and ,000. Emily Bushman, wife of Chiefs player Matt Bushman, revealed her daughters would miss out on the Super Bowl due to high ticket costs even for newborns.
In a ray of hope, Kelly Stafford, wife of Rams player Matthew Stafford, decided to buy tickets for fans in 2022 in response to the high prices. Clearly, the conversation around NFL ticket costs is far from over, and the solutions are still to be found.