Tickets to next year’s Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in New York City will cost double compared to last year.
The NFL is about to approve a plan that will see Club-level seats to the New Jersey venue cost $2,600 each.
In 2012, the most sought after tickets to the game went for $1,250.
That’s more than double the price of the most coveted tickets from last year’s game, which went for $1,250.
The price hike will affect roughly 9,000 tickets. However, the aim is for 30% of tickets to cost less than $800.
The second cheapest batch of seats is due to cost around $1,500 – up from $950 in the Big Easy.
The NFL has explained the drastic price hikes by stating the rise simply brings the tickets more into line with their market value.
All Super Bowl tickets usually sell for well above face value on the secondary market.
“We are looking to close the gap between the face value of the ticket and the true value of a ticket to what has become the premier sports and entertainment event,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
It’s not all about raising costs, however, the NFL has said it is dropping prices for the cheapest seats to $500 next year from $600 in 2013.
Last year’s premium tickets that officially cost $1,250 sold for $6,000 and over according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Super Bowl is an odd occasion in some ways because even the most ardent fans don’t usually get the chance to buy tickets directly for their face value.
The two participating teams get 17.5% of available tickets (about 14,000 each), and the league gets to distribute the remaining 25% to sponsors and partners.
All 32 teams get a set number of tickets that they distribute to season-ticket holders via a lottery.
It means that most spectators at the game will have bought their tickets on the secondary market.
The NFL is arguing that if people are prepared to pay extortionate prices on that secondary ticket, then the organization that hosts the Super Bowl should be entitled to take a bigger share also.
The organization says it has done its own research about how much the tickets are really worth.
Many $600 tickets resold for close to $2,000 whilst premium club seats ended up selling around the $6,000 mark.
And just like everything else in New York, officials are arguing that the 50 million people living near next years northeastern venue can afford to shell out a bit more.
