Heading into the Super Bowl, here is a rundown of the NFL’s 10 most expensive games of the year.
Super Bowl XLVIII is obviously slated to be the single most expensive football game of the 2013-2014 NFL season, and one of the most expensive Super Bowls of all time. This year’s participants, the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, are pretty strong draws. Much has been made of the Seahawks raucous and dedicated fan base known as the 12th Man, but the Broncos boast a herd of passionate fans as well. Trailing only the Chicago Bears for the most expensive NFL tickets this season, the Seahawks and Broncos appear numerous times on our list of the top 10 most expensive games of the year. Let’s see who joins them.
10. NO @ CHI – 10/6/13 – $456.64 AVG, $189 Get-in
This Week 5 battle is the earliest game of the season to appear on our list. A rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship Game, which the Bears won in New Orleans en route to a Super Bowl loss at the hands of Peyton Manning’s Colts, fans ponied up an average of $456.64 for their ticket into Chicago’s Soldier Field this time around. Of course, this high price point was no strange territory for Bears fans, as Chicago Bears tickets were the highest priced in the NFL at an average of $353.57.
9. NO @ SEA – Playoffs – 1/11/14 – $457.14 AVG, $176 Get-in
The Saints on the list again, this time to Seattle for another recent playoff rematch. In 2010, the 7-9 Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to qualify for the postseason with a record below .500 by virtue of winning a dismal NFC West. Their gift was the opportunity to host a playoff game. Despite being massive underdogs, they beat the Saints in classic fashion through riding a combination of Marshawn Lynch and the 12th Man. The Seahawks were heavy favorites against the Saints this time around, and once again their home field advantage at CenturyLink proved strong.
8. WSH @ DEN – 10/27/13 – $466.32 AVG, $158 Get-in
Featuring one of the highest point totals in Vegas of any game this year, fans knew they were in for an exciting battle. Coming of their first loss of the season at Indianapolis, the Broncos fell behind 21-14 at the end of the 3rd quarter. However, Broncos fans got exactly what they were hoping for when they ponied up the big bucks for this ticket, as the team exploded for 31 4th quarter points en route to a 45-21 victory.
7. PHI @ DAL – 12/29/13 – $493.49 AVG, $127 Get-in
This Week 17 NFC East showdown was essentially a playoff game. Once again, the division came down to the final week of the season. With Dallas quarterback Tony Romo out for the game with a back injury, the Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious en route to the division crown. Interestingly enough, this is the only game on our list not to include one of the Super Bowl finalists. It was also the least expensive to get in to, with tickets available as cheap as $127 on the secondary market.
6. SEA @ SF – 12/8/13 – $531.17 AVG, $250 Get-in
While the 12th Man always lends high demand to Seahawks tickets in Seattle, the Seahawks are also a pretty strong draw on the road. 49ers tickets for this final divisional game at Candlestick Park carried an average price of $531.17. With a get-in price of $250 dollars, it was also the single most expensive regular season game to get into this season. The 49ers were in the midst of a tight Wildcard battle at the time and kept their hopes alive with a crucial victory, but were ultimately forced to travel to Seattle in the playoffs where they were not as successful as they were at home.
5. NO @ SEA – 12/2/13 – $561.72 AVG, $224 Get-in
New Orleans @ Seattle again? This is not a misprint. The Week 13 regular season battle between these two teams did indeed price higher than their Divisional Round matchup in the playoffs. At an average price of $561.72, this contest was the second most expensive regular season game of the year. The 12th Man was not disappointed, as the Seahawks continued their domination of the Saints with a 34-7 victory.
4. KC @ DEN – 11/17/13 – $588.61 AVG, $180 Get-in
The Kansas City Chiefs entered this Week 11 contest as the final undefeated team in the NFL, but the Broncos established supremacy and control of the division with a decisive 27-17 victory that was more lopsided than the score would indicate. This win would prove to be crucial, as the Broncos have enjoyed home field advantage throughout the playoffs on their way to the Super Bowl.
3. AFC Champ – 1/19/14 – NE @ DEN – $622.91 AVG, $205 Get-in
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning meeting in the playoffs is most certainly as premier a contest as fans could hope for. While this game initially priced over $800 dollars on average during the night that the matchup was set, prices did decline over the course of the week towards the closing average of $622.91. Still, with legacies on the line and plenty of demand from the Denver faithful, AFC Championship tickets close the year as the third most expensive game of the season.
2. NFC Champ – 1/19/14 – SF @ SEA – $806.51 AVG, $368 Get-in
The 49ers and Seahawks, again. For the second time, the same matchup appears twice on the list. Both times involve the Seattle Seahawks. While the high-priced Week 14 matchup between these teams happened to take place in San Francisco, Seattle was the host for the playoff rematch. At an average price of $806.51, tickets for this game became the single most expensive sports event in the city of Seattle since TiqIQ began tracking the market nearly five years ago.
1. Super Bowl – 2/2/14 – MetLife Stadium – $4084 AVG, $1,985 Get-in
Well, this one is pretty obvious. When you take the two teams with the second and third highest average ticket prices in the entire league, pit them against one another in the Super Bowl, and place this Super Bowl in the most expensive city in the country, tickets will carry pretty substantial price tags. Super Bowl XLVIII is the fifth appearance on this list for the Seahawks, and fourth appearance for the Broncos. Needless to say, both fan bases should travel well, contributing substantial additional demand for Super Bowl tickets above that of just the host city. With an average price of $4,084 and a get-in price of $1,985, this is currently the most expensive Super Bowl since TiqIQ began tracking the Super Bowl market six years ago.
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