US: Why are Super Bowl tickets so expensive? Inside the realm of NFL ticket brokers carrying large amounts of cash, luxury packages, and price
Philadelphia
By Cara Tabachnick and Graham Kates
By Paula Cohen, editor
CBS News, February 10, 2024, 9:00 AM EST
Whether to purchase a ticket to watch his favorite San Francisco 49ers play in the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday has been a source of debate for Nicholas Cù.
The devoted follower has been to every 49ers playoff game over the past two years, but this year’s ticket costs—which, as of last week, were over $12,000 on some resale sites—are the most of any football game in history.
Cù wasn’t sure on Friday if he would ever play the big game with just two days left.
It used to be like this. However, a number of business decisions taken by the NFL for the distribution of the highly sought-after tickets have driven prices through the roof in the previous few years, experts in the ticket industry claim, well beyond the means of the majority of fans.
deliberately unaffordable
“It’s just a complete mystery how to even possibly attend without remortgaging your house to afford tickets,” Cù added.
Stephen Shapiro, associate chair of the University of South Carolina’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, says that’s intentional.
A portion of the tickets are given to NFL teams or offered for sale at face value to athletes, coaches, and other sports-related individuals. Others go to the league’s business partners and sponsors, including Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS.
Nickelodeon, as well as Paramount+ streaming.) Then, another batch of tickets is donated to On Location Experiences, an events firm that the NFL established in 2010.
“Generally, there isn’t an opportunity for the general public,” Shapiro stated. Season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets from teams, although even that will be determined by a lottery. Additionally, due to sponsors, hospitality, and other business collaborations, tickets are almost all reserved.”
The venue’s increased size this year is driving up expenditures even further. About 60,000 people are anticipated to attend the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which is among the lowest attendance figures ever. In contrast, the game in Glendale, Arizona in 2023 drew around to 68,000 spectators, while the game in Inglewood, California the previous year drew roughly 70,000.
Be the first to comment