On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens. Both franchises are looking to snap Super Bowl droughts — San Francisco hasn’t won the title in 25 years, and the Chiefs haven’t won a Super Bowl in 50. Fans of both franchises are excited that their team could win the Super Bowl — and they will have to pay thousands of dollars if they want to see it in person.
As of Jan. 28, Super Bowl LIV tickets averaged over $8,200. The cheapest tickets cost over $4,800 at a minimum. While it is too soon to tell exactly what the final average ticket prices will be, this could end up being one of the most expensive Super Bowls of all time.
24//7 Wall St. used data provided by ticket search engine TicketIQ to determine the most expensive Super Bowl tickets. Super Bowl scores and locations came from Pro Football Reference. Super Bowl LIV has been excluded as the price is still in flux ahead of the game. While a comprehensive analysis of secondary market data has only available since 2010, Super Bowl tickets have gotten more and more expensive throughout the 21st century, so these are likely the most expensive of all time.
TicketIQ founder Jesse Lawrence explained to 24/7 Wall St. why this specific Super Bowl matchup is driving prices so high. “Ticket demand is all about scarcity and the less a team has been in that position for a championship, the higher the demand is. This is the Chiefs’ once in a generation opportunity, so we think that’s driving significantly more demand than what we’ve seen in years past.” Lawrence said. “The other factor is the San Francisco fan base is incredibly well-off.” San Francisco is the nation’s second richest city with a median annual household income over $100,000. These are the richest cities in America.
Beyond the high demand for tickets, there is also a limited supply — which is tightly controlled by the NFL. As of 2017, 25.2% of tickets went to the league’s corporate sponsors, partners, and members of the media; the teams that compete in the Super Bowl get 17.5% of the tickets each; the host city’s team receives 5%; and the remaining 29 teams each gets 1.2% of the tickets, accounting for a total of 34.8%. The teams distribute some tickets among players and staff but typically sell the majority.
Even for NFL fans who do not root for the Chiefs or 49ers, the game should be a good one, pitting 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the terrific Kansas City passing offense against San Francisco, which had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL this season. The contrasting offenses promise to deliver an exciting game that could go down as one of the best in NFL history. These are the greatest games in Super Bowl history.
Click here to see the Super Bowls that cost the most to attend.
10. Super Bowl XLIV (2010)
> Average ticket price: $2,329
> Minimum price to get in: $1,379
> Result: Saints 31 Colts 17
> Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
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9. Super Bowl XLVII (2013)
> Average ticket price: $2,516
> Minimum price to get in: $1,199
> Result: Ravens 34 49ers 31
> Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Super Bowl XLVIII (2014)
> Average ticket price: $2,567
> Minimum price to get in: $1,514
> Result: Seahawks 43 Broncos 8
> Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
7. Super Bowl XLVI (2012)
> Average ticket price: $2,956
> Minimum price to get in: $1,354
> Result: Giants 21 Patriots 17
> Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
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6. Super Bowl XLV (2011)
> Average ticket price: $3,649
> Minimum price to get in: $2,260
> Result: Packers 31 Steelers 25
> Location: Arlington, Texas
5. Super Bowl LII (2018)
> Average ticket price: $4,081
> Minimum price to get in: $2,550
> Result: Eagles 41 Patriots 33
> Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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4. Super Bowl 50 (2016)
> Average ticket price: $4,625
> Minimum price to get in: $3,800
> Result: Broncos 24 Panthers 10
> Location: Santa Clara, California
3. Super Bowl LIII (2019)
> Average ticket price: $4,972
> Minimum price to get in: $2,878
> Result: Patriots 13 Rams 3
> Location: Atlanta, Georgia
2. Super Bowl LI (2017)
> Average ticket price: $5,449
> Minimum price to get in: $3,088
> Result: Patriots 34 Falcons 28
> Location: Houston, Texas
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1. Super Bowl XLIX (2015)
> Average ticket price: $9,723
> Minimum price to get in: $8,764
> Result: Patriots 28 Seahawks 24
> Location: Glendale, Arizona
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