Seahawks fans are known for their loud support for their team, which enjoys a distinct advantage at CenturyLink Field. It turns out that the “12s” (not to be confused with Texas A&M’s proprietary “12th Man”) are also putting their money where their roaring mouths are.
At an average of $466, prices for Seahawks tickets are the NFL’s highest on the secondary market, edging out the Patriots ($461) and Broncos ($454). This information comes to us from TicketIQ, which claims to “provide consumers with the most comprehensive set of secondary market options” and put together a report on “the state of the NFL ticket market heading into the 2016 season.”
The next 10 teams after the top three in terms of average ticket price rank as follows: Bears ($377), Packers ($372), Steelers ($339), Giants ($321), Vikings ($315), Cowboys ($303), Rams ($284), Eagles ($247), Redskins ($238) and 49ers ($238). In the case of San Francisco, which went 5-11 last season, that represents a 40 percent decline from 2014, its first at brand-new Levi’s Stadium.
The Jaguars were at the bottom in average secondary-market ticket price at $141, followed by the Chiefs ($143), Browns ($145), Colts ($152) and Lions ($154). The Chargers were next at $157, for a 26 percent decrease from 2015 that was by far the league’s largest, possibly reflecting not only San Diego fans’ dissatisfaction with a 4-12 season but an expectation that the team will soon move to Los Angeles.
Speaking of L.A., the Rams, who returned there after more than two decades in St. Louis, saw their average ticket price increase 88 percent, second-most in the NFL. Leading the way in that category were the Vikings, whose ticket price rose 113 percent as they prepare for their first season in just-built U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Raiders are looking for a new stadium — and may well move from Oakland to Las Vegas to find one — but that hasn’t stopped fans from spending 69 percent more on tickets ($215) this year than last, when the team’s play improved markedly. Meanwhile, the Jets’ average ticket price ($223) was 31 percent lower than that of the Giants, with whom they share a facility.
If Cowboys fans are disappointed to see their beloved squad rank just ninth in highest ticket price, they’ll be happy to know that Dallas checked in as the most coveted road draw, at an average of $363 for its games away from AT&T Stadium. The next five most-attractive visiting teams were the Packers ($349), Patriots ($300), Bears ($280), Seahawks ($277) and Panthers ($274).
Tom Brady’s four game-suspension to start the season has had a clear impact on ticket prices at Gillette Stadium. New England’s first three home games — featuring the novice quarterback stylings of Jimmy Garoppolo — are going at an average price of $384.44, while the final five rise to a whopping cost of $509.71, a 32 percent mark-up.
And finally, because I don’t want to anger fans of the teams not listed yet, here are their average home ticket prices: Ravens ($232), Texans ($232), Panthers ($226), Dolphins ($219), Titans ($211), Saints ($211), Cardinals ($194), Bengals ($174), Falcons ($172), Bills ($164) and Buccaneers ($162).
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