New England Patriots remain the most expensive road ticket in the NFL
The New England Patriots’ chances for a successful start to the season dimmed a bit when quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game “deflategate” suspension was upheld in the courts.
The drawing power of the Patriots, however, remains strong for the upcoming season.
Patriots’ road games currently command a league-best 66% premium over the host’s team’s typical median price on the secondary ticket market, according to data provided by online ticket marketplace Vivid Seats. The Patriots also command the second-highest median price ($351) --- behind only the Seattle Seahawks ($398) --- for home games, Vivid Seats reports.
“It is no surprise really that the Pats still command such a high price even with the Tom Brady suspension,” Bryson Meunier, the director of search engine optimization strategy for Vivid Seats, said in an email to Paste BN Sports. “Across the board, we’ve seen Patriots’ ticket prices hover around the top of the list in seasons past, due to the success the program has seen as well as the team’s popularity in the city of Boston and surrounding areas.”
Meunier said the data from April before the Brady suspension was upheld by a federal appeals court and Brady decided to end his legal battle showed the median price for the Patriots’ first home game was $458. The most recent figures show the ticket median price for that Sept. 18 game against the Miami Dolphins on the secondary ticket market has dipped to $330.
There are only three costlier home openers than the Patriots’ this season: Denver Broncos in a Week 1 Super Bowl rematch with the Carolina Panthers ($514); Minnesota Vikings’ Week 2 debut at their new stadium for a game against the rival Green Bay Packers ($475);the Seahawks’ Week 1 tilt against the Miami Dolphins ($424); and the Chicago Bears’ Week 2 Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles ($358).
The Los Angeles Rams are a bigger draw than they had been in St. Louis. The Rams averaged about $125 in 2015, which put the club 23rd overall, according to Vivid Seats.
This season, as the Rams play their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum as a new stadium is constructed, they now command the seventh-highest average ticket price on the secondary market ($235).
“The Rams being one of the top teams in terms of ticket prices doesn’t come as too much of a surprise,” Meunier said. “There was quite an interest in Los Angeles once again having a professional football team, so it’s no surprise really that the fans have responded.”