Across the US, ticket prices for sporting events have skyrocketed, turning what was once a pastime for the average fan and a reasonably standard day of family outing into an exclusive experience for the wealthy. And if you’re a lifelong Eagles fan who wanted to see them win their Second Super Bowl? You’d have had to pay over $8,000—the highest ever recorded.
Super Bowl LIX Ticket Costs: A Shocking Comparison to Europe’s Biggest Soccer Clubs
The cheapest Super Bowl seats this year were located on the Superdome terrace, the stadium’s upper level, in the 20th row. Those tickets cost $3,000 each on Ticketmaster, with some nearby seats priced as high as $4,982. On StubHub, similarly located seats were going for at least $2,920 each, with a handful of tickets remaining at that price point.
Additional tickets were available through resale marketplaces, where prices for terrace-level seating ranged from $2,920 to nearly $5,000, depending on the seller.
Meanwhile, ticket packages sold directly by the NFL started at roughly $6,700 per person, including perks like access to tailgate parties, meet-and-greets with football stars, and free food and drinks. The average price of a Super Bowl ticket was a staggering $8,076 in the final weeks before the game, according to StubHub.
In stark contrast, season tickets for Bayern Munich—one of Europe’s most successful soccer clubs—cost just €143 (approximately $154). This means that for the price of one of the cheapest Super Bowl tickets, a fan could purchase nearly 20 season tickets for Bayern Munich. Even season tickets for top English clubs like Chelsea (£810), Liverpool (£713), and Manchester United (£579) remain significantly cheaper than a single Super Bowl seat.
A Market Designed to Exclude
Ticket prices have surged well beyond inflation, a deliberate move by teams to maximize profits. Limited seating, dynamic pricing, and the construction of premium-focused stadiums have all contributed to this shift.
While fans still have a say to a significant extent when it comes to ticket prices for Soccer and other sports across Europe, owners and leagues in the US nowadays prioritize revenue over accessibility, knowing that the majority of their profits come from lucrative television deals rather than in-person attendance.
Simply put, your favorite sporting team doesn’t care if you and your family can’t afford the seats as long as they can still hook you in to watch the game on TV.
The Rise of ‘Funflation’
Since COVID, consumer spending has leaned toward public outings and experiences such as concerts, amusement parks, and sporting events, pushing demand and prices even higher. While teams temporarily lowered prices post-pandemic to attract fans, costs have since rebounded sharply as ticket prices have seen a massive surge of 15% year-over-year.
The average cost of attending an NFL game as a family of four currently sits at $631. A Major League Baseball game? $266.
Dynamic Pricing and Ticket Resale Manipulation
Platforms like Ticketmaster and StubHub use algorithms that adjust prices in real-time based on demand, often driving up costs for marquee matchups. Even teams themselves are involved—some, like the New York Yankees, hold stakes in resale markets, taking a cut from secondary sales.
Stadiums often have empty seats these days that go unsold rather than being offered at lower prices because teams fear that if fans expect last-minute discounts, they’ll stop buying full-price tickets altogether.
New stadiums and renovations have also led to the prioritization of high-end experiences over affordability. Many venues have reduced overall capacity while increasing the number of luxury suites and premium seating.
As teams often get to keep the revenue from these premium spaces rather than sharing it with the league, the new generation of stadiums is further designed to maximize the number of high-priced seats at the expense of cheap ones.
The new homes for teams like the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Miami Marlins each hold at least 8,000 fewer seats than their predecessors.
With every passing year, it becomes abhorrently clear that attending sporting events has become a luxury rather than an accessible experience for the average fan in this country. If you complain about it, the rich will tell you to “work harder” or “hustle more,” while the average monthly salary in the US sits at $5,677.