• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 8, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

49ers Finding Success in Tech-Rich Silicon Valley

  • The 49ers are successfully selling uber-VIP suites and field seats to tech execs and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley.
  • 49ers have generated more ticket resales on Ticketmaster’s official ticket exchange than any other NFL team.
Nov 11, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Levi’s Stadium. https://www.yardbarker.com/other_sports/articles/report_skip_bayless_could_return_to_espn_when_contract_expires_next_year/s1_127_30508187
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY SPORTS

The San Francisco 49ers have the advantage – and challenge – of playing in one of the world’s richest metro markets.

On the one hand, playing in the heart of Silicon Valley makes it easier for the 49ers to sell the type of uber-VIP packages that would be difficult for the Green Bay Packers to market in blue-collar Wisconsin.

On the other hand, there are so many sports and entertainment temptations in the surrounding Bay Area, it’s easy for fans and corporate clients to skip 49ers games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

That happened all too often as the 49ers missed the NFL playoffs the past five seasons. The team’s on-the-field nosedive also coincided with the opening of the new $1.3 billion Levi’s Stadium, which has been met with mixed reviews from fans.

John Madden used to say winning is the great deodorant. Guess what? The 8-1 49ers are the hottest thing in Silicon Valley this year. Home games are attracting a Who’s Who of tech billionaires, venture capitalists, and celebrity fans. Chief among those is former star quarterback Steve Young, who co-founded a private equity firm in nearby Palo Alto.

Before their wild 27-24 overtime loss to Russell Wilson’s 8-2 Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers were the last undefeated team in the NFL. 

The 49ers front office credits the team’s ability to super-serve new fans from Silicon Valley, with longstanding fans from San Francisco, for their off-the-field success amid the on-the-field boon.

The 49ers, for example, sold out their 22 Citrix Owners Suites this year quicker than any premium space at the facility. Billed by the team as the “most exclusive season ticket in the NFL,” these all-inclusive suites cost $500,000 per year. 

For that, you not only get food and drinks, and access to the private Citrix Owners Club, but tickets to every event at Levi’s Stadium. That’s $11 million in VIP suite sales before the 49ers even started selling the rest of the stadium. 

“It’s really loaded with Fortune 500 companies and VC shops. An alumni player is in there as well,” said Brent Schoeb, the 49ers chief revenue officer. “It’s really the place to be if you’re buying a suite in our building.”

Then there are IdentoGO Field Seats. These 64 seats are located in the end zone, where players launch their “Levi’s Leaps” into the stands after scoring a touchdown.

At a cost of $15,000 per season, or roughly $1,500 per game, they’re also sold out. They’re the NFL equivalent to the feet-on-the-court NBA floor seats preferred by Hollywood celebrities like Jack Nicholson and Spike Lee.

“They’re full-on recliners you sit back in, and we deliver food to the seats,” said Schoeb.

Photo Credit: 49ers Photo

The country’s biggest, most affluent tech companies surround Levi’s Stadium in all directions. 

The San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, Calif., area was named the richest city in America, according to a recent survey. Silicon Valley’s per-person GDP of $128,308 is higher than Monaco and Singapore, according to the Mercury News. If the Republic of Silicon Valley were its own country, the region’s total economic output of $275 billion would rank 42nd in the world, ahead of Finland. 

If you sit at the top of Levi’s Stadium, you can see the headquarters for Google and Facebook. Cisco is practically across the street. But that alone doesn’t guarantee success, Schoeb noted.

“We’re in a great situation where there’s personal wealth. We’re the second-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. We obviously have the VC shops,” he said. “Then you have the legacy of the team’s brand in general. It’s a generational fan base. We’re very fortunate. We call them our ‘49ers faithful’ fan base.”

READ MORE: Kansas City Chiefs Quickly Carving Out Podcast Kingdom

Naturally, ticket resale outfits are thrilled with the five-time Super Bowl champion’s comeback season after a 4-12 campaign in 2018.

The 49ers have sold more resale tickets than any other club on the NFL’s official ticket exchange, according to Ticketmaster spokeswoman Ashley Dos Santos. Before the 2019 season kicked off, the team ranked 17th.

The team’s secondary average ticket price, or ATP, is now $220, she said. That’s the highest it’s been since the 2014 season that followed then 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s narrow loss to brother John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.

StubHub is seeing similar increases. Ticket sales for the first three home games of the 2019 season were up 95% vs. the first three games of 2018. Average ticket prices rose 64%. 

“We are seeing a significant increase in both ticket sales and average ticket prices from the 49ers in 2019,” said Jill Krimmel, general manager of sports at StubHub “So far this season, ticket sales are up 95% and the average ticket price is 64% higher, proving that their undefeated season has fans particularly excited.

READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys Invite Fans To Live Like A Cowboy

Over at SeatGeek, 49ers ticket prices rose 60% over the past month. Average ticket prices for the Seahawks game hovered around $210, according to SeatGeek spokeswoman Amanda Ramos. Field-level seats were going for $350 and $2,000, depending on where they were located. 

“Ticket listings for this game were up 62% in the last month so those that bought their tickets ahead of time got a great deal,” she said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Senators Rip WNBA Handling of Sun Sale

The Senators are urging the league to stay out of the negotiations.
April 27, 2025; Anfield, Liverpool, BRITAIN; Liverpool player Mohamed Salah scores the fourth goal against the Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match.

Tottenham Hotspur ‘Not for Sale’ Amid Takeover Interest

Two groups made offers in just the last week.

Cowboys-Eagles Misses Record TV Ratings Due to Weather Delay

The weather delay thwarts what would have been a record audience.

Ryan Clark, Peter Schrager Will Be Back on ESPN Together for ‘NFL..

Clark clashed with Schrager on Friday, with the dispute continuing off-air.

Featured Today

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Aug 22, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Chicago Stars FC forward Jameese Joseph (8) passes the ball during the first half of a match against the North Carolina Courage at SeatGeek Stadium.

Chicago Stars FC Move to Evanston After 12 Years in Bridgeview

Stadium plans beyond the 2026 season aren’t solidified. 
Dec 10, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of the Delta Center before the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Minnesota Wild.
August 19, 2025

Utah’s Sports Boom Expands Into Music, Emulating Atlanta

The Jazz and Mammoth owner strikes a major deal with Live Nation.
August 28, 2025

As CFB Programs Add Corporate Field Logos, Are Jersey Patches Next?

Texas is adding a sponsor’s logo to its football field this season.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
August 18, 2025

Browns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace Turbulence

The team’s proposed stadium is deemed a threat to nearby airport operations.
Sofi Stadium
August 14, 2025

Los Angeles Olympics Will be First to Sell Venue Naming Rights

The decision breaks with a longstanding Olympic policy.
Nov 30, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; General overall view of the Dallas Cowboys logo at midfield during an NFL football game between the Washington Redskins and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
August 14, 2025

Arlington Pays Off Its Cowboys Stadium Debt 10 Years Early

Another major NFL venue retires its public debt far ahead of schedule.
Fans watch as players make it into the 18th hole during round three of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC in Scottsdale on Feb. 8, 2025. Arizona Republic
August 13, 2025

Country Club Initiation Fees Soar With Golf’s Popularity

In many areas, would-be members are joining decade-long wait lists.