Single game tickets - holy crap!

[WotAGuy]

Don’t you love how teams are weeding out season ticket holders who resell many games, only to sell their original inventory to ticket brokers?  Teams don’t care about people paying exorbitant prices for tickets, as long as they get a piece of the action. 
 

 

Edited yesterday at 03:05 PM by WotAGuy

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

1 hour ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

A) looks like they've done away with the STM single-game presale.  They went out to everybody right after schedule release announcement

2) Apparently they're trying to ease the sticker shock for tix in the new stadium by jacking up prices this season.  WOW!  For the opener, a single seat from the team in my section is priced at $557 + tax.  Middle of upper deck is over $300.  This isn't even resale.

iii) Ridiculous 

I’ll take a 50 inch TV, clean bathroom, some 🔥 ganja, and a home-cooked meal over the hassle of going to an actual game ANY day. 

 

Don’t get me wrong, I try to go to one a year and definitely will be getting tickets when the stadium opens. It’s also a MUST if you are a diehard from a different part of the country or international. It’s like Mecca. 
 

I am no longer a drinker either and being around drunk fans when you’re sober can be a massive trigger for me. Plus, bringing family or girl to that environment can be an issue too. The parking, the bathroom lines, the overpriced refreshments, etc. It’s just too much.

 

TBH, I like watching Bills games alone. My interest is on a different level than even a lot of serious fans. It’s my one day a week where I can completely escape reality and I like to soak up as much of it as I can. No interruptions or dumb comments. If I want interaction, I’ll post here on the game day thread. 

[SoMAn]

In business, the objective is to maximize profit. Ooo....that evil capitalism.🙄

If there wasn't a market at those prices, the cost would be less. It's very simple. Clearly, there are those willing to pay those prices.

 

The flip side to these prices is that today's technology gives an opportunity for every fan to view games in lifelike, high definition color on their (relatively) low cost 70" flat screen TVs, right from the comfort of their favorite chair. 

Sure, it's not exactly the same as being there, but it's not like fans are forced to have their ears pressed up against the big wooden Philco radio set to keep up with a game. 

The reality is that there are twice as many people now as there were 50 years ago, the NFL has become enormously popular, and many boomers (as well as younger earners) have ample funds to support these luxuries. This is an age when there are plenty of buyers for $80,000 trucks. 

If I upgrade my existing tickets for the Bills-Falcons game, I expect it will be well over $1000 for a couple of tickets.  That's just the price you pay if you want the full 3D high def sight and sound live stadium experience. Otherwise, it's cheer and swear from the comfort of your easy chair. 

Edited yesterday at 03:57 PM by SoMAn

[SoonerBillsFan]

My couch with a 65" big screen looks better and better each year.

[4th&long]

3 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

My couch with a 65" big screen looks better and better each year.

Exactly how I feel. I'm not paying that much so I can stand in line to piss pay for overpriced beers and food that is horrible. Then get stuck in the lot for 2 hours after. Been there done that. 

[Klapaucius]

2 hours ago, K D said:

You don't need 2 kidneys...

I have 2 kids, they can each donate a kidney to me, so I can enjoy more games. lol

[Cray51]

1 hour ago, dorquemada said:

When faced with a decision last year about getting 5 tickets to a game at $300 each plus an easy additional $500 to get to the game, tailgate, food/beer/parking, instead I bought a 77" TV and a Sonos soundbar.  I missed the game experience but use the TV every day lol

This is the correct move.  Watch one game from a nosebleed in November, or spend the same $2k and get a monster TV and soundbar plus the 30 case of Labatt?  Easy choice

[GottaRun]

1 hour ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

Oh I know how dealing with ticket prices works.  It's the starting point that I was commenting on...

They did this last year as well, launch the sales with a crazy high price, slowly lower the tickets as the weeks pass by.  They are confident that they can lower the price at any time and get these seats to sell at any time, no rush at all from their perspective.

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Easing the sticker shock is one way to frame it.   Re-setting the floor at the most opportune time is how I would put it.   Those who bought PSL's were promised modest increases in price from year to year in the new stadium (I believe 2%).   That was part of the pitch.   Whether they honor that or not remains to be seen,  but since the promise was so recent, they kinda' gotta' get that price-hike up NOW.   Also thins out the riff-raff so many on TSW complain!

 

 

fargin sneaky bastages! - Roman Moroni

 

Seriously though, it’s totally messed up if the Bills promised everyone a 2% increase but didn’t mention that it’s a 2% increase in addition to an as yet unannounced exorbitant increase this year.

 

Is that really what’s happening?

[Cheektowaga Chad]

1 hour ago, Southern Bills Fan said:

Any guesses for single game tickets next year? I'm thinking $500 or more for the cheap seats. 

Next season according to my ticket rep will all be sold to season ticket holders, so single game seats will be all re sellers 

 

Which the market could be wild especially early nice weather games 

[muppy]

my wish list moving forward:

 

win the lottery. Plan on attending both home openers. Fly in and Out. Meet up with the homeys at each stadium. Lifetime memories CHECK

 

in lieu of me not winning the lotto  I will always have and depend on my away season tickets the NFL Sunday ticket. For its ease of using DVR and reliability  for the most part. Im NOT cheap. I'll pay. If I had it Id fly in each year.

 

*shrugs* a dream is a wish your heart makes.

 

GO BILLS ❤️💙❤️

 

 

[Never NEVER Give-up]

2 hours ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

What they don't sell - they sell to ticket brokers at a rate.  If the bills can move 1000 tickets that were originally listed at $300, and sell them for $200 - you get to declare a sell-out well in advance, you get your cash, and the broker assumes the risk.  This doesn't happen on the website though, the ticket office will just negotiate a side deal with the brokers.  The brokers then can set the market and probably will sell those tickets for well over $300.  

 

Then ticketmaster gets a fee, stub hub gets a fee, broker makes money on the ticket.  Everyone wins - except fans basically.  

And then you get a 1099-K if you show sales over $5000 (in 2024), $2500 (2025) and over $600 (2026).  So keep track of what you spend, so you can deduct it from the Sales proceeds!  Best bet is to sell privately if at all possible!

[Just Jack]

20 minutes ago, Cheektowaga Chad said:

Next season according to my ticket rep will all be sold to season ticket holders, so single game seats will be all re sellers 

 

Which the market could be wild especially early nice weather games 

 

I expect the Home Opener to be in the thousands for lower bowl/clubs. 

2 hours ago, Southern Bills Fan said:

Any guesses for single game tickets next year? I'm thinking $500 or more for the cheap seats. 

 

Take a look, they're available now.

 

Buffalo Bills Tickets | 2025 NFL Tickets & Schedule | Ticketmaster

[yall]

2 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Probably speaking about the secondary markets like Ticketmaster.

 

Tickets will significantly drop closer to game time.  I've gone to 10 Bills games in the last few years and each time I've bought the tickets a day or two before the game.

I watch them daily a month prior to the game. 

I'm taking this approach for the opener this year.

[Just Jack]

3 hours ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

A) looks like they've done away with the STM single-game presale.  They went out to everybody right after schedule release announcement

2) Apparently they're trying to ease the sticker shock for tix in the new stadium by jacking up prices this season.  WOW!  For the opener, a single seat from the team in my section is priced at $557 + tax.  Middle of upper deck is over $300.  This isn't even resale.

iii) Ridiculous 

 

Was this intentional? What I bolded in your post? 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

3 hours ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

A) looks like they've done away with the STM single-game presale.  They went out to everybody right after schedule release announcement

2) Apparently they're trying to ease the sticker shock for tix in the new stadium by jacking up prices this season.  WOW!  For the opener, a single seat from the team in my section is priced at $557 + tax.  Middle of upper deck is over $300.  This isn't even resale.

iii) Ridiculous 

Why do you hate the Buffalo Bills?

*
😉😁

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

 

29 minutes ago, Never NEVER Give-up said:

And then you get a 1099-K if you show sales over $5000 (in 2024), $2500 (2025) and over $600 (2026).  So keep track of what you spend, so you can deduct it from the Sales proceeds!  Best bet is to sell privately if at all possible!

 

I have a very good friend who's a broker - it's a very complicated business.  Teams, artists, wwe, ticketmaster, etc. raise prices on certain events, and massively raised prices on certain seats at those events.

 

The Bills do this with the Chiefs game, crush the initial demand at the highest price possible.  You can then negotiate a reduced rate with sellers for the remaining inventory to "sell out" the game.  They can then charge what they want.  

 

They also are adding a ton of club seats at the new stadium, which is another racket aimed at avoiding the 38% away gate number since you can charge a "club rate" that is not a part of that revenue sharing model.  Essentially overcharge for food and drinks you may or may not serve.  

 

Depends on the venue, but if they use ticketmaster they have an absolute F-ton of data.  That data can be useful when gauging what to charge right out of the gate, what to charge to make profit, when to dump tickets to sellers, etc.  They also charge a ton for premium seats and premium "experiences" which i think are just to get a big influx of cash right out of the gate.  

[T master]

4 hours ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

A) looks like they've done away with the STM single-game presale.  They went out to everybody right after schedule release announcement

2) Apparently they're trying to ease the sticker shock for tix in the new stadium by jacking up prices this season.  WOW!  For the opener, a single seat from the team in my section is priced at $557 + tax.  Middle of upper deck is over $300.  This isn't even resale.

iii) Ridiculous 

Well think about it for a r a minute . Josh has a $300 & something MILLION dollar contract not to mention Benford, Bernard, Shakir, Rousseau all resigning !

 

Then signing Bosa, all of those contracts being for MILLIONS per season then tack on to that a $1.3 BILLION stadium being built did you really think that ticket prices were going to stay near the lowest in the league .

 

If you want them to play you're going to have to pay ! The NFL is all about the mighty dollar and that's it, you have to pay for being elite . 

 

The Bills have went from being a Chevy Nova to being a Ferrari so your going to pay much more for it ...

Edited 23 hours ago by T master

[RiotAct]

with the economy having never been weaker in human history, it’s a wonder ANYONE is dropping $600+ on a pair of tickets to a Bills game!

[PromoTheRobot]

4 hours ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

A) looks like they've done away with the STM single-game presale.  They went out to everybody right after schedule release announcement

2) Apparently they're trying to ease the sticker shock for tix in the new stadium by jacking up prices this season.  WOW!  For the opener, a single seat from the team in my section is priced at $557 + tax.  Middle of upper deck is over $300.  This isn't even resale.

iii) Ridiculous 

This year my season tickets cost $85/gm. Next year my seats in, roughly same area as now, will be $166. 🤷‍♂️

5 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

with the economy having never been weaker in human history, it’s a wonder ANYONE is dropping $600+ on a pair of tickets to a Bills game!

I did and a lot of folks are. We'll see what happens when the crap really hits the fan blades later on.