Cost of Attending NFL Game Outpacing Inflation, Study Finds

The NFL logo on the field before the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 2, 2022. Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

As the NFL regular season kicks off on Sept. 5, the cost of attending a league game has outpaced inflation, according to a study.

That cost increased by 44 percent between 2015 and 2024, while actual inflation was 31 percent during that time frame, according to the study released by FreeBets.com, citing the sports analytics firm Team Marketing Report with the use of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator.

The team with the largest price increase in that period was the Las Vegas Raiders, which has been in Sin City since 2020 after relocating from Oakland. That price increase was 129 percent, according to the study. This was followed by the Cleveland Browns at 112 percent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 88 percent, the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at 81 percent, and the Jacksonville Jaguars at 76 percent.

The Raiders are the seventh-most valuable NFL franchise, according to Forbes.

The teams with the lowest increases were the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts at 22 percent, the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders at 19 percent, the New England Patriots at 18 percent, the Baltimore Ravens at 15 percent, the New York Giants at 14 percent, the Dallas Cowboys at 8 percent, and the New York Jets at just 5 percent.

The Cowboys, Patriots, Bears and Jets figures may be a surprise considering the Cowboys are the most-valuable NFL franchise, according to Forbes, with the Patriots ranked third, the Giants ranked fourth, the Jets ranked fifth, and the Bears ranked ninth.

The study defined an attendance at a game as purchasing two general tickets, two hot dogs, a soft drink, and a small beer.

Hence, such attendance for a Raiders game was $156.35 in 2015 and $357.62 in 2024. A Buccaneers game cost $149.18 in 2015 and $279.86 in 2024. For a Chiefs game, it was $159.29 in 2015 and $287.62 in 2024.

Between 2015 and 2024, on average, general seat prices have increased by 49 percent, while premium seat prices have gone up by 47 percent, reported the study.

Inflation for non-premium seat tickets skyrocketed 161 percent for Raiders games, 125 percent for Browns games, 96 percent for Chiefs and Buccaneers games, and 77 percent for Jaguars games. The lowest increases were games for the Cowboys at 6 percent, the Jets at 7 percent, the Giants at 14 percent, the Patriots at 17 percent, and the Cardinals at 20 percent.

Inflation for premium seat tickets spiked 167 percent for Raiders games, followed by 117 percent for Los Angeles Chargers games, 104 percent for Colts games, 100 percent for Los Angeles Rams games, and 89 percent for Jaguars games.

“Why all the price hikes? We can only guess, but as player salaries soar, stadiums undergo multi-hundred million dollar upgrades, and broadcasting rights become increasingly expensive, these costs are inevitably passed down to fans,” stated the summary.

“Ultimately, the NFL faces a crossroads: maintain current pricing strategies and potentially lose touch with a significant portion of its fans, or seek new ways to make attending a game more accessible for all.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the NFL for comment about the study and how it plans to make the game more accessible for fans.