Why are NFL tickets so expensive?

A typical NFL game starts at $111 with fees, against $36 for the NBA and $55 for the NHL. Football runs about 3.1 times the basketball price at the cheapest seat, and the middle listed price climbs to $328.

Few games, big crowds

Each NFL team plays eight or nine home games a season. An NBA or NHL team plays 41. A football fan who wants to go has a handful of dates to choose from, and the floor shows it. Across the 114 NFL home games left this season, the cheapest quarter start under $55 and the priciest quarter start above $204.

The team you watch moves the price most

The priciest home tickets belong to the Bears ($421), Bills ($377) and Seahawks ($264). The cheapest belong to the Titans ($22), Cardinals ($28) and Cowboys ($31). The spread between those two groups is wider than the gap between any two leagues.

The Cowboys show how wide one stadium can run: a typical home game starts at $31, but the middle listed price is $350.

Compare with other leagues