For a fan cheering an NFL team, a winning season may end up being a double edged sword. On one hand, there is the excitement of a playoff push and the overall good feelings around town. Remember though, sports, like any other company, are still a business, and with more demand for a product (tickets in this case), prices may increase. It’s a common tale as prices rise as long as a team keeps winning, until they reach a breaking point: either the tickets don’t sell out because the cost is too high, or the team starts to lose and demand is diminished.
What changes can we expect with 2012 NFL Season Ticket prices?
According to Sports Business Journal, ten out of the 32 NFL teams will be increasing season ticket prices from last year. Of course it should come as no surprise that seven of these teams sporting higher prices went to the playoffs a year ago. Often times, the percent increase in cost isn’t too much to deter fans. In the case of a few teams with higher prices like Detroit, Tennessee and Houston, their prices were already among the cheapest in the NFL. For a team that went 10+ years without the postseason, most fans won’t mind paying a few more pennies to finally see a winning product. Other teams to charge more in 2012 include Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Green Bay, New England, Pittsburgh and Seattle.
On the flip side, a disappointing season may bring a decrease in ticket prices. In order to bring fans back to the stadium and avoid a possible blackout (another topic for another time), certain organizations will drop costs to lure people back. The NFL teams dropping season ticket prices for 2012 include Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miami and Tampa Bay. In certain cases, and off-season spending spree can make teams dropping season ticket prices and attractive buy! The Buffalo Bills sealed the deal on more than 4,000 season ticket packages (between new customers and renewals) in the 72 hours after signing Defensive End Mario Williams.
Before a mid-season collapse, the Bills were among the hottest NFL teams. Also, things didn’t go too well in Tampa Bay last year, but after bringing in Free Agents like Vincent Jackson, Amobi Okoye and Eric Wright, people are hopeful for a quick turnaround under a new coach.
Trends like this happen each and every off-season. Season ticket prices move in cycles as clubs rack up the wins and suffer through the losses. Keep in mind, exact prices aren’t readily available and everything mentioned in this article reflects season ticket prices and not single game prices at the box office. We are just weeks away from the NFL draft. Each team believes it can be a contender, but will you be there to see it all LIVE?