NFL game tickets are a massively popular commodity in the sporting world. Fans seldom think twice before spending lavishly on them. One of the major factors that drives the ticket prices is the star power of the athletes featuring in the contests. NFL legend Tom Brady was among those stars who could drive massive crowds, even to a dead rubber. However, as the veteran is now retired, there has been a major drop in the ticket prices for the Buccaneers for the 2023–24 season.
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Every team has different ticket prices in the football fraternity. It changes from season to season, and several other factors. Given that Brady is the only man in the history of the sport to win 7 championship titles, whenever he played, fans were ready to spend heaps of cash to catch a glimpse of him. With his departure, the price of the Buccaneers’ regular season tickets has dropped by almost 50%.
Tom Brady’s absence set to massively impact ticket sales in Tampa Bay
It is indeed a huge setback for the Bay Area fans to enter the arena without their poster boy playing for the team. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his retirement in February this year, marking an end to his illustrious career of 23 seasons in the league. He played for three years in Tampa Bay, winning a championship title for his side.
According to the reports, this move has taken a serious toll on the sales of regular-season tickets. Last year, the Buccaneers’ average ticket price was somewhere around $359, but now it has plunged to $179. A decrease of 50% from its previous value. Several fans are putting the blame on the “TB12 Effect” and we don’t doubt it.
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As of now, the New England Patriots lead the tally for most expensive tickets ($1,022) on the opening day. The game will be held on September 10, and the franchise will be honoring its former quarterback, Tom Brady. Per the reports from Athletic, there has been an incremental rise in the average ticket value compared to last season.
It has now reached $331, up from $307 last year. Surprisingly, one of the teams that sells really expensive tickets is the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite having a tumultuous season filled with a lot of bummers, the franchise managed to sustain its brand value. The mecca of gambling lived up to its expectations. And a similar trend is expected to follow in the upcoming season.
Will the economic crisis take a hit on ticket sales?
There has been plenty of analysis coming into the spotlight according to which, the recession might affect the purchase of tickets. People are looking to cut their expenses, and buying a super-expensive NFL ticket might not be on their wishlist.
“What’s wild is we have this fear of a white-collar recession. We have cutbacks across businesses on tickets, which is already occurring,” said Tony Knopp, CEO of TicketsManager to the Athletic. “There is a significant belt-tightening across the people who buy the most expensive tickets for sporting events right now,” he added. In the coming days, fans will get more clarity on the ongoing situation.
