Gametime Last Minute Tickets: Is Gametime Cheaper in the Final 3 Days?

See today’s last-minute NFL prices on Gametime and Vivid Seats on TicketScanner’s NFL page.

Gametime last minute tickets: what the data shows

In the final three days (game day and the three days before) of 92 completed NFL games, Gametime was lower than Vivid Seats on 55.8% of 303 daily price checks, and Vivid Seats was lower on 33.3%, according to TicketScanner price data. For the 56 regular-season NFL games alone, the split was much closer: 48.9% for Gametime and 41.6% for Vivid Seats across 178 checks.

So Gametime is a good first look for a game in the next three days, but not a sure win. Vivid Seats was lower on a large share of late checks, and some of the largest late gaps went its way. Open both, then compare the total for the same seat.

Source: TicketScanner price data, completed games through Oct. 7, 2026.

Source: TicketScanner price data. NBA is a small preseason sample.

NFL preseason games pulled the all-games figure up. Before 36 preseason games, Gametime was lower on 65.6% of 125 checks, compared with 21.6% for Vivid Seats.

The final three days vs. a month out

A month or more before completed games, Vivid Seats was lower more often: on 72.1% of NFL checks and 62.8% of NHL checks. The NFL figure rests on only 86 checks on 15 games. The NHL figure covers 323 checks on 62 games.

Source: TicketScanner price data, completed games. TicketScanner began recording MLB on July 12, so there are no MLB checks a month or more out.

These time periods cover different groups of games. The month-out window includes only games that were already tracked a month ahead. To test the pattern, we took the 62 NHL games that had checks in both windows. In those same games, Vivid Seats was lower more often in the final three days too: 49.1% vs 41.2% of 165 checks.

So the late Gametime lead shows up across all completed games but not within the same NHL games. It does not show that Gametime’s price drops, or that Vivid Seats’ price rises, as a game nears. The useful advice is to check both sites late.

For MLB, Gametime was already lower more often four to seven days out (49.2%) and in the final three days (48.4%).

Whether the price itself falls as game day nears is a separate question, covered in do tickets get cheaper closer to the game.

How big the last-minute gaps were

The typical gap stayed small, but large gaps were more common in the final three days.

Source: TicketScanner price data, final three days before completed games. Gap is the difference divided by the lower price.

A month or more out, 20.9% of NFL checks and 8.7% of NHL checks had a gap of 10% or more. In the final three days, the median gap was still a few dollars, but about one NHL check in three had a large gap.

Last-minute games where the gap was large

Big late gaps went both ways.

Source: TicketScanner price data.

How we picked these: for each completed game, we took the daily price check with the largest gap in the final three days, then listed the games with the largest gaps in each league. For the NFL, we used regular-season games only. We left out Toronto games and Boston Bruins home games. NBA examples are left out because all completed NBA games were preseason.

At three of these four games, Vivid Seats was far lower. The biggest NFL miss for Gametime was Cowboys at Texans, at $302 against $139. League-wide patterns do not hold for every game.

Best last minute ticket app: what else to weigh

Fees are already in the price

Gametime labels prices “Includes Fees.” On Oct. 8, 2026, we measured Gametime’s fees at seven NFL, NHL and NBA games. On the cheapest seated listing at each game, the fee was a median 16.3% of the seller’s price, from 11.8% to 17.5%. Across all 1,754 seated listings, the median was 15.5%. Gametime’s terms say it may add or change fees at any time, so that is a one-day reading. Sales tax can still be added. For other sites, see which ticket site has the lowest fees.

The cheapest listing may not be a seat

At two Cowboys home games and one Eagles game, Gametime’s cheapest listing was standing room. For Buccaneers at Cowboys on Oct. 8, the cheapest listing was a $19 standing-room ticket. The cheapest seat was $63 a ticket with fees ($54 seller price plus $8.64 in fees), with $1.36 in sales tax on top. Last-minute buyers see the lowest price first, so check what it is.

Delivery is the top complaint

Among the 60 most recent English Trustpilot reviews of Gametime, 8 had delivery or transfer as the main complaint, the most common issue. One reviewer wrote, “Ticket unusable on iPhone and the event is tomorrow.” Another, in a three-star review, wrote, “Lost out on the first 12 minutes of the game.” A five-star reviewer wrote, “Tickets arrived just after purchase! Great price too!!!” These are reviewers’ claims, which we did not verify. More in Gametime reviews.

A last-minute checklist

1. Check Gametime and Vivid Seats for the same game. Gametime was lower more often late, but not every time.
2. Look past the lowest number. Confirm the seat type and whether the tickets sit together.
3. Compare the total at the last screen before payment, including tax.
4. Check how and when the tickets will be delivered before you pay.
5. If one site tends to offer lower prices for your team, start there. See the team list in Gametime vs Vivid Seats.

For apps beyond these two, see Vivid Seats and Gametime alternatives and Gametime vs TickPick.

How we measured

TicketScanner records the lowest listed price (the get-in price) for each tracked game once a day, around 9 a.m. ET, on each site it compares. These are the prices the sites show with their fees included; depending on the site and the state, sales tax may already be in the price or added at checkout. We compared Gametime and Vivid Seats only when both sites had a price for the same game on the same day. Each of those matches is one daily price check, and percentages use daily price checks, not games, as the base. Different time windows include different games, so compare windows with care. Listings named as season tickets or parking were excluded, but the lowest listing can still be a standing-room or other non-seat ticket. Source: TicketScanner price data.

Data as of Oct. 8, 2026 (prices recorded through Oct. 7, 2026).

Added for this article: “final three days” means a price recorded on game day or one to three days before it, for games completed by Oct. 7, 2026. Days are counted by calendar date in UTC, so a late-evening game can shift by a day. NFL regular-season games are those played from Sept. 10 on. The fee figures come from Gametime listing pages viewed without an account on Oct. 8, 2026, for two tickets per listing. Review figures come from Trustpilot on the same day.

FAQ

Is Gametime good for last minute tickets?

On price, Gametime was lower than Vivid Seats more often in the final three days: 55.8% of NFL checks, 51.6% of NHL checks and 48.4% of MLB checks. For NFL regular-season games the lead was smaller, 48.9% vs 41.6%.

What is the best last minute ticket app?

Between the two sites TicketScanner tracks, Gametime was lower more often in the final three days across all games. TicketScanner has no price data for StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster or TickPick, so we cannot rank them.

Are Gametime last minute tickets cheaper than buying early?

This article compares Gametime with Vivid Seats on the same day, not prices over time. For how the price itself moves, see do tickets get cheaper closer to the game.

Do Gametime last minute prices include fees?

Yes, Gametime labels prices “Includes Fees.” On the cheapest seated listing at seven games we measured on Oct. 8, 2026, the fee was a median 16.3% of the seller’s price.

Why was Vivid Seats lower for some last-minute games?

We do not know the cause for each game. Within the same 62 NHL games, Vivid Seats was lower more often in the final three days as well.

Check last-minute NHL and MLB prices on TicketScanner’s NHL page and MLB page.

Sources

• TicketScanner price data (daily get-in prices for Gametime and Vivid Seats, completed games through Oct. 7, 2026)
• https://gametime.co/nhl-hockey/rangers-at-capitals-tickets/10-9-2026-washington-dc-capital-one-arena/events/6a5966642da5c11be1387f50 (Gametime labels prices with fees included; fee split in listing detail)
• https://gametime.co/policies/terms-of-service/ (Gametime may add or amend fees at any time)
• https://gametime.co/nfl-football/buccaneers-at-cowboys-tickets/10-8-2026-arlington-tx-at-t-stadium/events/695c94332557e35fb9a78f5c (standing-room and cheapest seated listing, Oct. 8, 2026)
• https://www.trustpilot.com/review/gametime.co (recent Gametime reviews and quotes)