Think your favorite team has improved its Super Bowl chances through free agency? Start saving better.
Many hopeful NFL fans spend the offseason dreaming about their favorite team making the Super Bowl as they monitor the offseason and prepare for the NFL Draft. But going to the Super Bowl in person is a bucket list item that will never be checked off for many American sports fans.
The dream has become a nightmare. The median household income was about $83,730 in 2024, according to the US Census Bureau. With the prices of almost everything on the rise, the idea of the average American football fan attending the Super Bowl seems like a myth.
Financial expert Ted Jenkin has said that the average American will not be able to attend the Super Bowl of their choice if their favorite team wins.
2026 NFL FREE AGENCY TRACKER: VIKINGS RE-SIGN QB CARSON WENTZ
Attending the Super Bowl in person is a “bucket list” item that will never be checked off for many American sports fans. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
“The Super Bowl has become the biggest corporate hospitality event in America. If you look at resale tickets today, and the prices of the Super Bowl are between $7,000 to $10,000, that means that the average American was there, you will spend four months of mortgage payments. Or if you look at the average income … two Fox tickets told Foxnki the fifth that the Super Bowl is your income Digital.
Finder, a company designed to help consumers make informed financial decisions, published shocking data last month that revealed that Super Tickets cost “about 7.1% of the median annual income.”
The average ticket for the 2026 Super Bowl was $5,567 on the secondary market with low-priced seats going for about $4,000 and some premium tickets going for more than $30,000, according to TicketiQ.
Jenkin, founder of Exit Stage Left Advisors, estimates that between corporate sponsors, NFL partners and hospitality, he estimates that 75% of Superbowl tickets don’t even go up for sale. In addition to the rising cost of the actual ticket, Jenkin said flights, hotels, food, souvenirs and other entertainment will also add up quickly.
“That’s probably another few thousand more. So, you could easily spend, one ticket, about $20,000 over the weekend,” Jenkin said.
THE NFL WILL EVEN CUT PRODUCTION UP FOR THE SEASON OPENER ON WEDNESDAY.
Many hopeful NFL fans spend the off-season dreaming of their favorite team making the Super Bowl. (Jason Redmond/Getty Images)
Jenkin understands that in a perfect world, the NFL would work to make it easier for the average American to attend the Super Bowl. However, he is a capitalist at heart and understands that the NFL is a business.
“It’s not just the Super Bowl. If you look at the Masters or Formula One, or the NBA All-Star game, these have become luxury corporate events and the average American who wants to go to these things can’t go to any of them,” Jenkin said.
University of South Carolina professor Stephen L. Shapiro, who serves as chairman of the Tepper Department of Sports and Entertainment, believes that the Super Bowl is simply an “ultra-premium event” that brings ordinary Americans off their couches.
“The average fan, if their team makes the Super Bowl, it’s going to be a solid investment for them to be able to go to the game,” Shapiro told Fox News Digital.
“Every year the Super Bowl gets bigger and bigger from a global perspective,” he added. “I think there’s a push to have corporate hospitality and VIP experiences. So, you’re seeing a lot of catering to the elite audience, whether it’s a business partner or affluent people.”
EX-NFL STAR WARNS LEAGUE ‘ABOUT GIVING FANS TOO MUCH’ AS PRE- THANKSGIVING GAME REPORTED
Denver Broncos fans cheer for their team against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 10-7 AFC Championship Game win at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, January 25, 2026. (Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/Getty Images)
Shapiro also said the rise of the established secondary ticket market is also working against mainstream fans.
“Once ticket sales went online through StubHub, it was kind of a game changer. So, now you have this dynamic where there are people who are buying tickets as resellers with the intention of reselling them for a profit rather than going to the game,” Shapiro said. “That market has helped drive up an already high ticket price for an event like the Super Bowl.”
Shapiro believes NFL owners should be concerned that regular fans have access to live games to grow new long-term buyers, at least for regular season contests.
“Regarding the playoffs and certainly the Super Bowl, it’s a premium event. I think it would be very challenging for the NFL to make these tickets affordable for the number of people who want to travel,” he said.
The NFL’s Annual General Meeting is set to begin on March 29, free agency begins earlier this month, and the NFL Draft is set for late April. All of the offseason’s wheeling and dealing happens with the same goal of getting to the Super Bowl – regardless of who can go.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and fans shouldn’t expect the game to become more affordable anytime soon.
“I think that for most Americans, here’s a way to solve your problem. You may not be live at the event, but you can always buy a 100-inch screen TV. It will be about 20% of the price, and you will probably have a better experience,” said Jenkin.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
