Super Bowl Ticket Prices Steadily Dropping
Every year as the NFL season comes to a close in its headline act, the Super Bowl, the happenings off the field are often as interesting as what goes on between the white lines. Between live musical entertainment, witty commercials, and a general week-long spectacle in the host city, the game always lives up to its name. Attending the game is becoming more difficult than ever, as every year ticket prices have been hitting record highs and demand has been increasing. However, this year’s Super Bowl is showing the opposite trend in the days leading up to the game.
Ticket prices obviously fluctuate daily, even hourly, but the surprising reality is that it won’t cost as much to get into the game this year than it has in the past. Average ticket prices have dropped significantly in the past week, and StubHub global Head of Communications outlined this sentiment, saying “ I wouldn’t be surprised if the average ticket price drops another $500–600 as the week [this coming week] goes.” Ultimately, the general consensus is, if you want a lower price, be patient.
Reasons for the drop in demand could be down to several factors. Playoff games this year have, for the most part, lacked entertainment value, which could push some potential fans away. Neither team playing is located particularly close to Houston, so travel complications are imminent. The NFL has been under heavy scrutiny throughout the season, between controversial discipline, suspensions, and political statements, which could have a detrimental effect on enthusiasm to attend the Super Bowl.
Breaking down the developing trends of Super Bowl ticket purchases this year uncovers some interesting patterns. According to TicketCity, almost double the amount of Patriots fans will be making the trip to Houston as their counterparts from Atlanta, while almost half of the attendees will be Houston-area locals.
As can be seen on the graph above, 38% of attendees will be locals, signalling that the Super Bowl is a worthy attraction, ever for fans with little or no interest in the actual outcome. The “other” category, according to TicketCity, consists mainly of fans from other major cities around the country such as Miami and Kansas City.
The percentage of fans from each of the two teams suggests that Patriots and Falcons fans will be about equal in presence at the Super Bowl. Interestingly, the teams have very different recent histories regarding Super Bowl appearances, as the Patriots have been to 7 in the past 15 years, whereas its been almost 20 years since the Falcons last appearance. It could easily be expected that this would mean more Falcons fans would make the trip, but the teams will be more or less equally represented in the stands.
Ultimately, despite the drop in ticket prices, the Super Bowl is still American sport’s biggest stage, and it will live up to the excitement as it always does.