The end of the Chiefs’ dynasty, at least for now, is aiding a resurgence in the Super Bowl ticket resale market.
As the Patriots and Seahawks clinched their spots Sunday for Super Bowl LX, initial resale pricing for the Feb. 8 event at Levi’s Stadium is showing considerably more strength than a year ago.
Low-end, get-in pricing for Super Bowl LX hovered around $6,500 on multiple markets early Monday. That is up by more than 40% from a comparable, entry-level figure of $4,600 right after last year’s Chiefs-Eagles matchup for Super Bowl LIX was set. The latest figure, however, is still down slightly from initial costs of more than $7,000 for Super Bowl LVIII two years ago in Las Vegas, which ultimately reached record-setting levels.
Amid a season-ending knee injury last month to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs sank to a 6–11 record, their first non-playoff campaign since 2014 and their worst record since 2012. That is providing a different energy to the Super Bowl ticket market, as Kansas City had been in the title game five times in a six-season span.
In addition to a perceived “Chiefs fatigue” last year, New Orleans hosted a Super Bowl for a record-tying 11th time. California’s Bay Area, conversely, is getting a Super Bowl for just the third time following Super Bowl XIX in 1985 and Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
While Super Bowl LX is a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX 11 years ago, the Seahawks have not been back to the title game since then. New England, meanwhile, went to three more Super Bowls following the 2016–18 seasons, but then went through a long fallow period after the departure of franchise icon Tom Brady.
Managed Market
As has been the case for the last several years, the TKO Group Holdings–owned On Location plays a dominant role in the overall Super Bowl ticket resale market, thanks to its status as the NFL’s official hospitality provider. The role allows On Location to control how and when much of the total ticket inventory becomes available, and very little of that ultimately reaches the primary market at face value. That’s also often created less dramatic market shifts during the two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.
Last year, however, was something of an exception to that as a significant hotel crunch in New Orleans ultimately helped depress Super Bowl resale pricing by nearly half during the two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl itself.
On Location is also bundling Super Bowl tickets with a variety of fan experiences, including NFL legend meet-and-greets, tailgate parties, exclusive merchandise, and travel accommodations, and its pricing currently starts at $7,500 per person.
