Why Are NFL Tickets So Expensive? 7 Reasons, With 2026 Price Data

Check today’s get-in prices for every NFL game on TicketScanner’s NFL page.

Why are NFL tickets so expensive? The short answer

NFL tickets are expensive because each team plays only eight or nine regular-season home games, stadiums run nearly full and demand is national. The difference shows up in prices: the median NFL get-in price is $118, about 5.9 times a typical MLB game-day get-in of $20 and 2.1 times the NHL, per TicketScanner’s daily price tracking through Sept. 13, 2026.

The get-in price is the cheapest listed ticket for a game, before fees, so $118 is roughly what the cheapest seat costs on a typical NFL date, not a good seat.

Why NFL tickets are expensive in 2026: the numbers

Here is how the NFL compares with the other leagues TicketScanner tracks, using every upcoming regular-season game TicketScanner tracks with a set date.

League	Upcoming games tracked	Median get-in	25th percentile	75th percentile	NFL median vs. this league
NFL	211	$118	$73	$201	n/a
NHL (2026-27 season)	1,010	$55	$39	$78	2.1x
MLS	109	$28	$21	$39	4.2x
MLB (late-season games TicketScanner tracks, Sept. 14-26, 2026)	55	$16	$12	$26	7.4x

Source: TicketScanner daily price tracking, snapshot Sept. 13, 2026. Get-in prices are before fees.

The NFL median is about 2.1 times the NHL and 4.2 times MLS. For baseball, the fairer yardstick is a typical MLB game-day get-in of $20, from TicketScanner’s tracking of completed games from mid-July to Sept. 13, 2026. The NFL median is about 5.9 times that. The two are measured differently ($118 is a snapshot of upcoming games, $20 a game-day median), so treat the ratio as a rough guide.

A side note on the table: the $16 MLB figure covers only late-September games, which skew cheap because many teams are out of the race. The 7.4x ratio against it overstates the usual gap.

1. There are only eight or nine home games a year

Each NFL team plays 17 regular-season games. Teams alternate between hosting nine regular-season games in one season and eight in the next, according to the NFL’s football operations site. The same page says the league will play nine regular-season games outside the U.S. in 2026, the most yet, so a few teams give up a date in their own stadium.

Compare that with the other leagues. MLB teams play 162 games, about 81 of them at home. NBA teams play 82. The NHL expanded to 84 games for 2026-27, which means 42 home games per team.

MLB drew 71,409,421 fans in 2025. NFL crowds averaged 69,055 per game in 2025, and across a 272-game regular season that works out to roughly 18.8 million by our math, about a quarter of baseball’s total. An MLB team has roughly nine or 10 home dates for every one an NFL team gets.

2. Big stadiums, but the seats are already spoken for

NFL stadiums are huge, yet they still fill. The league played to 97.6% of capacity in 2025, according to SportsPro’s season review. Some teams also have season-ticket demand that outstrips supply. Lambeau Field has been sold out on a season-ticket basis since 1960, per the Packers, and the Denver Broncos say their season-ticket waiting list has over 100,000 names.

When season tickets are sold out, other fans rely more heavily on single-game inventory and the resale market.

New stadiums add two more pressures. The first is personal seat licenses, an upfront fee for the right to buy season tickets. At the Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium, PSLs range from $750 to $50,000 per seat, and before this season Buffalo never charged the fee, Buffalo Toronto Public Media reported in August. The second is size. Axios reported that stadiums are getting smaller and more luxurious, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ planned stadium in Kansas, set to open in 2031, will hold about 70,000 seats, roughly 8% fewer than Arrowhead Stadium’s 76,416.

3. National TV demand, and the late windows cost more

The NFL’s large TV audience coincides with higher prices for some high-profile games. The 2025 regular season averaged 18.7 million viewers, the second most-watched on record, according to SportsPro.

The price gap shows up by kickoff window, though it is not only a prime-time story. In TicketScanner’s Sept. 13 snapshot, a Sunday 1 p.m. game had a $95 median get-in. Sunday late-afternoon games ran $156, almost the same as Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football at about $158. So the split is between the crowded 1 p.m. slate and the later, more nationally watched windows. Matchups differ across windows too, so this is a pattern, not proof of cause. For the full breakdown by kickoff window, see how much NFL tickets cost in 2026.

4. Resale markets and dynamic pricing respond to demand

Teams set the face value of their tickets. Ticketmaster’s help center says face value is determined by the event organizer, while resale tickets are priced by the reseller.

Teams have moved in the same direction. A 2023 study in Management Science found that when NFL teams switched to variable pricing, minimum resale prices rose for the more attractive games. “The teams have been on a trend of testing out higher prices,” Brian Berry, executive director of the Ticket Policy Forum, told Axios in February.

Resale does not only push prices up. The same Axios report said a Sports Fans Coalition analysis of more than 57 million tickets found resale tickets saved fans across leagues an average of 37% compared with face value.

TicketScanner’s Week 1 data shows that movement. Across the 13 Week 1 games played Sept. 9-13, 2026, the median get-in rose from $170 more than 60 days out to $203 in the month before the opener, then fell to $128 on game day. That is one week of data, so treat it as an early signal rather than a rule. The full cross-league comparison is in do tickets get cheaper closer to the game.

5. Fees are added on top of the listed price

Every price here is before fees. Since May 12, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees has required businesses that advertise live-event tickets to show the total price, including all mandatory fees, whenever they display a price. It covers resellers and third-party platforms, not only the primary seller.

Two limits are worth knowing. Taxes and other government charges, shipping and optional add-ons can still be disclosed later in the transaction. And the FTC said the rule “does not prohibit any type or amount of fee.” It makes fees visible earlier; it does not make them smaller. Compare the total price including mandatory fees, not the headline number.

6. NFL ticket prices have been rising faster than inflation

Average NFL ticket prices sold on Gametime nearly tripled from 2015 to 2025, up 173% after adjusting for inflation, according to data the company shared with Axios. That was the largest increase of any league in the report. MLB was up 111%, the NBA 70%, the NHL 65% and MLS 22%.

Teams keep raising prices at the source, too. The Chicago Bears raised season-ticket prices an average of 13.5% for 2026, after increases of 10% in 2025 and 8% in 2024, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

7. A few marquee games pull the whole market up

“NFL tickets” is not one price. It is 211 different prices, and they are spread out.

In TicketScanner’s Sept. 13 snapshot, the cheapest upcoming regular-season game was Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns on Jan. 3, 2027, at $21. The most expensive was Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers on Oct. 11, at $602, roughly 29 times as much. About 13% of games had a get-in under $50, while 9% started at $300 or more.

The most expensive NFL tickets this season are the rivalry, prime-time and holiday games. After Bears at Packers came Las Vegas Raiders at San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 8 ($473), Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 18 ($397) and Packers at Bears on Christmas Day ($393).

The home team matters too. For the team-by-team ranking, see the cheapest NFL tickets by team.

Are NFL tickets worth it? How to pay less

If you want a specific rivalry game at a sold-out stadium, you will pay for it. If you just want to see an NFL game in person, the numbers point to real savings.

Pick a Sunday 1 p.m. kickoff. Its $95 median get-in was the lowest of any kickoff window in TicketScanner’s snapshot.
Look late in the season. Five of the six cheapest games on Sept. 13 were in Cleveland or Nashville, all between Nov. 15 and Jan. 3, with get-ins from $21 to $25.
Skip the marquee matchup. Seven of the eight priciest games on Sept. 13 were division rivalries, prime-time games or the Christmas Day game.
Compare total prices. Under the FTC rule, sellers must show the total price including mandatory fees, so compare that number across sites, and expect taxes on top.
Watch the price instead of guessing. Week 1 prices climbed for a month and then fell, but one week is not a pattern. Track a game’s price history and buy when the number fits your budget.
Know when tickets are released. Our guide to when NFL tickets go on sale covers the schedule release and team on-sale dates.

How TicketScanner measured this

TicketScanner records the get-in price for every tracked game once a day, around 9 a.m. ET. The get-in price is the cheapest listed ticket for that game across the resale marketplaces TicketScanner monitors, in U.S. dollars, before fees.

The NFL numbers come from a Sept. 13, 2026 snapshot of the 211 upcoming regular-season games with a set date that TicketScanner tracks, across 31 home teams. Late-season games still listed as “Date TBD” and preseason games are excluded. The other leagues in the table use the same snapshot date.

The Week 1 pattern uses the 13 Week 1 games played Sept. 9-13, 2026. For each game we took the median of its daily get-in prices inside each window before the game, then the median across games. The typical MLB game-day figure ($20) uses the same method on completed MLB games from mid-July to Sept. 13, 2026. Prices move daily, so the live number on any game may differ from these snapshots.

TicketScanner tracks a subset of each league’s games, not every game on the schedule. For example, the table includes 55 MLB games from Sept. 14 to 26 (the regular season ends Sept. 27), while MLB plays about 15 games a day, and no Los Angeles Chargers home games. The results describe the games TicketScanner tracks.

FAQ

Why are football tickets so expensive compared with other sports?

Mostly because of supply. An NFL team hosts eight or nine regular-season games a year, compared with about 81 in MLB and 42 in the NHL’s 2026-27 schedule. With so few dates, the median NFL get-in is $118, about 5.9 times a typical MLB game-day get-in ($20), 2.1 times the NHL and 4.2 times MLS, according to TicketScanner’s daily price tracking through Sept. 13, 2026.

Are NFL ticket prices rising?

Yes, over the long run. Average NFL ticket prices sold on Gametime rose 173% after inflation from 2015 to 2025, according to data shared with Axios, the biggest increase of any league in that report. Teams such as the Chicago Bears have also raised season-ticket prices three years in a row.

What are the most expensive NFL tickets in 2026?

In TicketScanner’s Sept. 13 snapshot, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers on Oct. 11 had the highest get-in at $602, followed by Las Vegas Raiders at San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 8 at $473. Rivalry, prime-time and holiday games dominate the top of the list.

Are NFL tickets worth it?

It depends on the game. A typical Sunday 1 p.m. game had a $95 median get-in, and several late-season games listed between $21 and $25. Premium matchups can cost several hundred dollars before fees. If you are flexible on opponent and kickoff time, going to a game can cost far less than the headlines suggest.

Do NFL ticket prices include fees?

Listed resale prices do not always tell the whole story. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC has required ticket sellers, including resellers, to show the total price with all mandatory fees whenever they display a price, though taxes can be added later. TicketScanner’s get-in prices are shown before fees.

Compare live get-in prices for every NFL game this season on TicketScanner’s NFL page.

Sources

https://operations.nfl.com/calendar-events/nfl-schedule/making-the-schedule (17 games per team; teams alternate between nine and eight regular-season home games; nine regular-season games outside the U.S. in 2026)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Major_League_Baseball_season (MLB teams play 162 regular-season games in 2026)
https://www.nba.com/news/2026-27-nba-regular-season-schedule (NBA teams play 82 games in 2026-27)
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/49376073/nhl-releases-expanded-84-game-schedule-2026-27-season (NHL 2026-27 schedule is 84 games, 42 home and 42 away)
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-releases-2026-27-regular-season-schedule (NHL expands to 84 games per team for 2026-27)
https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-attendance-reaches-71-4-million-three-straight-years-of-growth-for-first-time-since-2007 (MLB 2025 attendance of 71,409,421)
https://www.sportspro.com/features/finance-investment/nfl-2025-season-review-tv-viewership-sponsorship-revenue-attendance-valuations-data/ (2025 NFL average attendance of 69,055, 97.6% of capacity; regular season averaged 18.7 million viewers, second most-watched on record)
https://www.packers.com/tickets/season-ticket-waiting-list (Lambeau Field sold out on a season-ticket basis since 1960)
https://www.denverbroncos.com/tickets/seasontickets/waiting-list (Broncos season-ticket waiting list has over 100,000 names)
https://www.btpm.org/local/2026-08-18/study-new-highmark-stadium-ranks-as-nfls-most-expensive-to-attend (Bills PSLs range from $750 to $50,000 per seat; Buffalo never charged the fee before this season)
https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/02/05/sports-ticket-prices-soar-as-teams-chase-premium-demand (Gametime data: NFL average prices up 173% after inflation, 2015 to 2025, and other leagues’ increases; stadiums getting smaller and more luxurious; Brian Berry quote; Sports Fans Coalition 37% resale finding)
https://www.nfl.com/news/chiefs-renderings-new-kansas-stadium-open-2031 (Chiefs’ planned stadium in Kansas will hold 70,000 and open in 2031)
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49425174/chiefs-unveil-renderings-planned-3b-domed-stadium-kansas (planned Chiefs stadium: 70,000 seats, scheduled to open for the 2031 season)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowhead_Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium capacity of 76,416)
https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/9663528775313-How-are-ticket-prices-and-fees-determined (face value set by the event organizer; resale tickets priced by the reseller)
https://www.colorado.edu/business/faculty-research/2023/08/05/scoring-touchdown-variable-pricing-evidence-quasi-experiment-nfl-ticket-markets (Management Science study: minimum resale prices rose for more attractive NFL games after the switch to variable pricing)
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/05/ftc-rule-unfair-or-deceptive-fees-take-effect-may-12-2025 (FTC fee rule for live-event tickets took effect May 12, 2025)
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/rule-unfair-or-deceptive-fees-frequently-asked-questions (total price must include mandatory fees; taxes, shipping and optional charges can be disclosed later; covers resellers and third-party platforms)
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/12/federal-trade-commission-announces-bipartisan-rule-banning-junk-ticket-hotel-fees (rule “does not prohibit any type or amount of fee”; requires total price inclusive of all mandatory fees for live-event tickets)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2026/02/17/chicago-bears-raising-season-ticket-prices-13-5-percent-kevin-warren-2026-soldier-field (Bears raise season-ticket prices an average of 13.5% for 2026, after 10% in 2025 and 8% in 2024)