The first Super Bowl tickets sold in 1967 only cost about $12. Even accounting for inflation, that would only be about $100 today, a fraction of the price of modern-day Super Bowl tickets. This begs the question: What are the most expensive Super Bowl tickets of all time, and why were they so costly?
The most expensive Super Bowl ticket in history was a $434,000 200-Level Club Suite ticket offered for Super Bowl LI in 2017. Still, the average ticket price for this event was about $6,000. That’s about $4,000 less than the average ticket for the 2022 Super Bowl.
If you’re a fan of American football, you’ve likely daydreamed about attending a Super Bowl game. But tickets to these events tend to get pricier with every passing year, especially if you’re hoping to score the best seats. This ranking will reveal which Super Bowl tickets are the costliest and discuss why prices keep rising.
Here Are the Top 10 Most Expensive Super Bowl Tickets in History:
- Super Bowl LI (2017) – $434,000
- Super Bowl LVI (2022) – $147,300
- Super Bowl LV (2021) – $126,000
- Super Bowl XLV (2011) – $70,000
- Super Bowl LIV (2020) – $60,000
- Super Bowl 50 (2016) – $27,983
- Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) – $25,500
- Super Bowl LIII (2019) – $24,416
- Super Bowl LII (2018) – $21,340
- Super Bowl XLVI (2012) – $17,048
10. Super Bowl XLVI (2012) – $17,048
The Super Bowl XLVI (in 2012) pitted the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. It took place at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This stadium has a capacity of about 67,000 guests, and the average ticket price for this Super Bowl was about $4,000. So, if every seat sold out, this game generated at least $268 million in profits from ticket sales alone!
Of course, that’s not accounting for the fact that the best seats cost far more. In fact, the costliest ticket for this game cost $17,048. That’s about the price of a brand-new economy sedan.
If you had some great seats for the 2012 Super Bowl, you likely spent more than you would on the most expensive concert tickets!
Why Is It So Expensive?
Every Super Bowl is a spectacle. But the main factor that helped make Super Bowl XLVI’s ticket so pricey was the comparatively limited stadium seating.
Many NFL stadiums have capacities of 70,000 or more. But because the Lucas Oil Stadium’s seating capacity was slightly lower, the demand for tickets was significantly higher than the supply, causing prices to rise.
9. Super Bowl LII (2018) – $21,340
If you went to see the Philadelphia Eagles play against the New England Patriots during the 2018 Super Bowl, you likely spent upwards of $3,900 on your ticket. But if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan, this would’ve been a small price to pay.
This game, which took place in the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the first Super Bowl the Philadelphia Eagles ever won, making it a historically significant event (at least in terms of sports history).
It’s also a notable event because of its jaw-dropping ticket prices. Just a few days before the Super Bowl, some tickets were selling for $21,340!
Why Is It So Expensive?
In 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles played their third Super Bowl game. Because this team had yet to win a Super Bowl (and were playing against the New England Patriots and Tom Brady), it was a heart-pounding event that almost every Eagles fan wanted to attend.
This surge in demand helped drive ticket prices upward. In fact, every suite available in the U.S. Bank Stadium sold out, so it’s possible that the stadium ticket costing $21,340 wasn’t the priciest Super Bowl LII ticket. We may never know!
8. Super Bowl LIII (2019) – $24,416
If you thought that Super Bowl LII tickets were expensive, wait until you learn about Super LIII’s ticket prices.
Firstly, the average ticket price for this game was about $4,600. That’s more than $500 pricier than the previous year’s average.
That’s despite the fact that demand for Super Bowl tickets in 2019 was slightly lower than the demand experienced the previous year. And the costliest ticket for a regular stadium seat cost $24,416!
Why Is It So Expensive?
The Super Bowl Halftime Show was likely responsible for this Super Bowl’s higher-than-average ticket prices.
Most fans were underwhelmed with the playing teams and the event’s location, but the fact that Maroon 5 and Travis Scott headlined the halftime act was enough to draw in interested spectators.
7. Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) – $25,500
Super Bowl XLVIII was relatively affordable compared to other Super Bowl events of the last decade or so. The average ticket price was only about $3,715, making them cheaper than the average 2012 Super Bowl ticket!
But what about top-notch seats on the 50-yard line?
Well, tickets for these in-demand seats cost about $25,500. Overall, this Super Bowl set new records in terms of high-cost tickets. Hopefully, Seattle Seahawks fans ended up with the best seats, as the Seahawks ended up taking home the win for this pricey Super Bowl.
Why Is It So Expensive?
Seat location can significantly influence ticket prices. If you’re fine with viewing the game with a pair of binoculars while battling the high elevation of nosebleed seats, you can spend a little less on a Super Bowl ticket. But if you want to sit close enough to the field to smell the grass, you’ll end up paying a hefty amount.
When it comes to this Super Bowl, seating was one of the major factors contributing to higher-than-average ticket costs. But that’s pretty true of all Super Bowl events.
6. Super Bowl 50 (2016) – $27,983
There’s only one opportunity to celebrate half a century of Super Bowl games, and that opportunity came in 2016 with Super Bowl 50. This sporting event was so monumental that it set ticket price records that wouldn’t be broken until 2020.
Featuring the Denver Broncos versus the Carolina Panthers, this Super Bowl took place in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It featured massively popular musical acts during the halftime show, including Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Beyoncé.
More than 71,000 people attended the event, which is insane considering the capacity of Levi’s Stadium is only 68,500.
The incredible demand to see this game live drove average ticket prices to more than $5,000. But some premium tickets sold for more than $20,000. In fact, one fan spent $27,983 on a lower prime club ticket.
Why Is It So Expensive?
There are many reasons why Super Bowl 50 was expensive for football fans. The event had a celebratory aspect, high-quality halftime show performers, and limited stadium seating.
But the location of this Super Bowl might be the true culprit behind the high ticket prices.
After all, Santa Clara is a wealthy community, and local residents who could afford to invest in great seats wouldn’t have had trouble re-selling those tickets to interested fans (but at jaw-droppingly high prices).
5. Super Bowl LIV (2020) – $60,000
Over the past decade, discerning football fans could score a decent Super Bowl ticket for less than $2,000. But the 2020s aren’t going to be nearly as affordable as the 2010s or 2000s, a point proven during the 2020 Super Bowl LIV event.
Average ticket prices for this game hit new highs of about $7,100. But some fans (those hoping to enjoy the game in the 72 Club living room section) spent about $60,000 to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play against the San Francisco 49ers at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Why Is It So Expensive?
Exclusivity is the name of the game for high-priced Super Bowl tickets. Not everyone can afford to hang out in a swanky private suite or living room while watching the Super Bowl from the ideal birds-eye vantage. But those that can don’t mind spending big bucks to do so!
4. Super Bowl XLV (2011) – $70,000
While the average Super Bowl ticket price almost always increases with each passing year, some Super Bowl events are standouts due to their incredibly costly VIP tickets. Take Super Bowl XLV in 2011, for example.
Sure, the average ticket price was only about $3,600. That’s less than half the average ticket price for Super Bowl LV, which occurred a decade later.
But one fan spent $70,000 on a ticket for a private suite at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas! Hopefully, this dedicated fan had the time of his life while watching the Green Bay Packers play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Why Is It So Expensive?
Watching a Super Bowl game while seated in the nosebleed section can be a positive experience. Still, it’s nowhere near as enjoyable as watching from the comfort of an enclosed, personal suite.
So, comfort and luxury were the primary factors contributing to this Super Bowl XLV ticket’s high price.
3. Super Bowl LV (2021) – $126,000
It seems that every consecutive Super Bowl gets more expensive. Super Bowl LV (in 2021) is no exception, with the average ticket price costing about $8,600.
But if you wanted to watch this championship game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs in upper sidelines seats, you would’ve ended up spending $126,000! That’s enough money to buy yourself a small home.
Then again, this was supposed to be famed football star Tom Brady’s final season in the NFL, so demand for tickets was unusually high.
It’s also crucial to remember that many pandemic restrictions were beginning to end during this time. So, those who’d been cooped up in their homes over the last year were likely excited about the chance to watch the Super Bowl in person.
Why Is It So Expensive?
The costliest Super Bowl tickets tend to be those closest to the field (though VIP and suite tickets can be even pricier). For the Super Bowl LV, the upper sideline tickets were the most expensive due to their proximity to the athletes.
Besides, this was rumored to be Tom Brady’s final Super Bowl. So any diehard Brady fan would have been happy to spend big bucks to get these tickets!
2. Super Bowl LVI (2022) – $147,300
When it comes to average ticket price, the costliest Super Bowl tickets of all time are those for Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
The average ticket for this particular game cost a whopping $10,000. If you attempted to score some tickets on the highly coveted 50-yard line, you’d have had to spend $147,304. Even tickets for nosebleed section seats sold for upwards of $5,000!
Still, the suites offered for Super Bowl LVI (Los Angeles Rams versus Cincinnati Bengals) put these tickets to shame. Some suites cost more than $1 million, but it’s unclear whether these suites ever sold.
Why Is It So Expensive?
There are quite a few reasons why Super Bowl LVI was one of the most expensive for attendees.
Rising inflation, supply chain issues, and higher-than-average demand (likely caused by decreasing post-pandemic restrictions) are just a few. This Super Bowl also had a star-studded halftime show that featured internationally famous musical acts, including Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg.
It’s also worth noting that the 2022 Super Bowl occurred in the most expensive NFL stadium ever built, the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Compared to other states, California has one of the highest costs of living, so stadium snacks and souvenirs likely cost a small fortune.
Still, the highest-priced tickets for this 2022 Super Bowl don’t compare to the costly VIP tickets offered for Super Bowl LI in 2017.
1. Super Bowl LI (2017) – $434,000
The most expensive Super Bowl ticket in history is a $434,000 200-Level Club suite ticket offered for Super Bowl LI in 2017. Still, the average ticket price for this Super Bowl was about $6,000, making it comparatively more affordable (on average) than Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
Still, this game was far from cheap for interested fans. The lowest-cost tickets cost about $3,300!
This NFL game took place at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. It featured the New England Patriots versus the Atlanta Falcons, with the Patriots taking home the Lombardi Trophy.
Why Is It So Expensive?
Luxury-quality seating is the primary reason this Super Bowl ticket was so pricey.
After all, the 200-Level Club is premium seating far exceeding standard stadium seating quality. You essentially get to watch the game unfold from the comfort of a private room with floor-length windows and a birds-eye view of the field.
This kind of ticket also typically comes with several perks, including complimentary food and drinks, access for multiple guests, and transportation to and from the stadium. If you’re looking for the most exclusive way to enjoy the Super Bowl, you might want to gather a dozen of your closest and most affluent friends and split the cost for this ticket!
Why Is Attending the Super Bowl So Expensive?
The average football fan can end up spending several thousand dollars to attend a Super Bowl game. But why, exactly, are Super Bowl events such an expensive experience?
Generally, three factors contribute to the overall cost of seeing a Super Bowl in person:
- Ticket prices
- Travel costs
- Accommodation and food
The average price for a Super Bowl ticket can vary between $2,500 and $10,000.
Depending on how far away you live from the stadium hosting the Super Bowl, you might need to spend several thousand dollars more on plane tickets. And unless you live in the host city, you’ll probably need to spend upwards of $100 on a hotel room in the area.
As you can see, the total cost of attending a Super Bowl game is typically much higher than the initial ticket price. But what makes some Super Bowl tickets so expensive?
What Factors Impact Super Bowl Ticket Prices?
If you’re looking to see a Super Bowl in person without emptying your savings account, you might be in for a challenging time. After all, tickets for this event go on sale as soon as the final NFL Playoff game finishes.
As football fans rush to purchase their seats from online ticket vendors and purchase hotel rooms in the host city, prices suddenly skyrocket due to increased demand. Consequently, enjoying a budget-friendly Super Bowl in person can be tricky.
But understanding the three major factors influencing Super Bowl ticket prices might help. These factors are:
- The amount of time left before the game
- The type of seat you’d like to reserve
- The number of people attempting to buy tickets
- The popularity of the halftime show acts
Generally, ticket prices decrease as the Super Bowl game grows nearer. But finding decent seats can be virtually impossible unless you buy tickets several weeks beforehand. So, while you might be able to save money on tickets by buying them last minute, you’re probably going to end up in the nosebleed sections.
The popularity of the two competing teams and the event’s halftime acts can also contribute to ticket prices. Relatively unpopular teams can generate a lower turnout. However, if the halftime show acts are massively popular musicians (like Beyoncé, who performed at both the 2013 and 2016 Super Bowl games), demand for tickets can increase, resulting in higher prices.
Still, the cost of holding a Super Bowl doesn’t compare to other major sporting events, including FIFA World Cup events. For perspective, most stadiums capable of hosting a Super Bowl cost about $250 million to construct, but the most expensive FIFA World Cup events can cost billions!
What’s the Most Expensive Super Bowl Ticket in History?
The most expensive Super Bowl ticket of all time was a $434,000 200-Level Club Suite ticket made available for Super Bowl LI in 2017. It’s unclear whether anyone ended up purchasing this ticket.
In terms of average ticket prices, the costliest Super Bowl for attendees was Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The average ticket price rose to a previously unheard-of $10,000!
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