The Super Bowl is one of the last truly communal events in this country. Where other forms of entertainment, from music to television, are increasingly divided into specific niches with small audiences, sports retains its universal appeal, and football reigns supreme. How supreme? In 2021, more than 91 million people watched Super Bowl LV in 2021—and that was a 9 percent decline from 2020.
Everyone loves a good Super Bowl party, complete with snacks, betting grids, and, of course, the commercials. But true fans dream of actually attending the game in person—which can be a challenge both physically and financially. Physically, there are only, at most, 100,000 seats available and millions of people who wouldn’t mind sitting in one. And the NFL doesn’t make it easy, either. The league typically distributes about 75% of available tickets to teams, partner companies, and insiders, severely limiting your chances of getting your mitts on one.
The NFL used to offer a ticket lottery every year, but this year it’s been restricted to just 500 tickets—already handed out during the season—and their Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lottery, also already concluded. Sheer luck won’t help you this year.
So what can you do? You can gird your loins and attack this as a project, because that’s what it is. Oh—and get your financial house in order, because if you do find tickets, you’re going to be paying through the nose.
How much do Super Bowl Tickets cost?
It’s impossible to be precise on the cost of a ticket because the market for Super Bowl tickets is the very definition of the word “volatile.” That’s because there are only a few ways to legitimately purchase one:
- Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster is the NFL’s official source for tickets. Prices range from more than $6,000 (with fees) to more than $72,000 for some VIP section tickets.
- Resellers. Ticket reseller sites like SeatGeek and StubHub are also reputable sources for tickets (Ticketmaster also buys and resells tickets), but you won’t see much of a discount.
- On Location. On Location is the official “hospitality provider” for the NFL, which means they sell event packages with extra perks and “experiences.” Believe it or not, the prices here are in line with Ticketmaster’s, despite offering some extras, like postgame field access or party invites.
Buying Super Bowl tickets from a scalper
No matter how you slice it, two tickets to the Super Bowl are going to run you in excess of $12,000 minimum. This might lead you to search out someone who is wiling to sell you their tickets for less than the six grand most sites are asking. The face value of a Super Bowl ticket isn’t public knowledge, but it’s estimated to be around $1,000, so if someone with connections to a team got some (relatively) cheap tickets, it’s not totally crazy that they might sell them for at least a slight discount from the going rates—and even if they’re asking $5,000 for them, you’re at least saving on those punishing fees.
But be very, very careful. First of all, check and see if scalping is even legal in your state. And most importantly, keep in mind that buying scalped tickets is the easiest and fastest way to get scammed. There are only mobile tickets to Super Bowl LVI (in fact, part of an official ticket purchase gets you a complimentary NFT memorializing the game), and you can’t even do print-from-home anymore, so anyone offering you a paper ticket is most likely scamming you. Your best bet is to use one of the legit ticket brokers mentioned above.
Final tips
So, you’re thinking that blowing a few months’ rent on some sweet Super Bowl tickets is worth it, and your kids don’t need to go to a fancy college, so you’re in. Here are a few tips that might save you some grief:
- Watch the prices. Since almost all the available Super Bowl tickets are sold according to market forces, they go up and down over time—sometimes quite dramatically. In fact, the best time to buy Super Bowl tickets is about three to five days before the game, when folks holding tickets start to sweat a little about recouping their investment. SeatGeek offers a price tracker you can use to see how price fluctuated in the past and where it is currently, so you can plot a strategy.
- Show fees. Because everything about tickets these days is sketchy as hell, all of the “legit” ticket resellers will show you prices without the required fees by default. So if you think you’ve found a surprisingly cheap ticket, think again—these fees can add $1-$2,000 to your final price. Look for—and click—the filter that shows the prices with fees included.
- Don’t forget associated costs. If you’ve got exactly enough money to buy a ticket, great! Except, not so great because you still have to get to the game and find someplace to sleep. Keep in mind that while ticket prices may drop if you wait it out, lodging and airfare prices will almost certainly go up as time goes by, so hitting that sweet spot might be a challenge.
If you’ve got the cash and are willing to make the effort, you can be there at kickoff at the Super Bowl. For the rest of us, it’s time to start bulk-buying the nachos for the party.
