NFL Inflation: Tracking NFL Ticket, Beer, and Concession Prices Over Time

Between new stadiums, ownership changes, and player salaries, the economics of football are changing from the top down. For fans, this means increased costs to both see NFL games in person and watch their favorite NFL teams on TV.

To see exactly how prices have risen for NFL fans and to make it easier for them to know how to manage their money and budget for their next trip to the stadium, our research team at FinanceBuzz compared the average costs of attending an NFL game in person (including tickets, food, beer, and parking) for each team over the past decade.

We also pulled SeatGeek data to get an initial look at the 2026-2027 season and which teams' prices might be going up even more.

Key findings

• On average, the cost of going to an NFL game went up by $82 (72%) from 2015 to 2025. That is nearly double the national rate of inflation in that time (36.5%).
• Since 2015, the per-person cost of attending a home game with another person (including tickets, one beer, one hot dog, and parking) has risen by 336% for fans of the Detroit Lions, which is the biggest increase in the league. Costs also increased by more than 200% for the Las Vegas Raiders (238%) and Buffalo Bills (223%).
• The average costs to attend home games for two NFL teams have actually fallen in the last decade, as tickets to attend an Indianapolis Colts game dropped from $110 in 2015 to $104 in 2025 (-5%) and rates to watch the New Orleans Saints play decreased from $117 to $110 (-6%).
• The Cleveland Browns have raised beer prices more than any other team, going from $5 for a 16-ounce pour in 2015 to $12.35 in 2025, which is a 147% increase.

Prices of tickets, concessions, and parking increased 40% in the last 10 years

To figure out how much it costs to go to an NFL game, we looked up prices of four things:

• Tickets: We pulled average price data for a single ticket.
• Beer: We pulled the price of a 16-oz Bud/Coors/Miller Lite beer or equivalent.
• Hot Dogs: We found the average price of a standard hot dog.
• Parking: We assumed that most people go to games with someone else, so we pulled parking costs and split them in two.

On average, the cost to attend an NFL game in 2025 was $196 across the league, which is a 72% increase since 2015. That is nearly double the 36.5% national rate of inflation in the same time period. The 2025 total also represents an increase of nearly $40 per fan year over year, as the average cost to attend a game in 2024 was "only" $158.

Rising ticket prices account for most of that jump, and demand isn't slowing down. For instance, Lions fans may not have had much to celebrate in 2014 (when the cost was just $92), while in 2025, costs were a league-high $429 (when the team had Super Bowl hopes heading into the season).

In the table below, you'll find all 32 teams, along with the increase in costs since 2015.

The game day experience for Detroit Lions fans has become more expensive than that of any other team since 2015, going from an average of $98 per person that year to $429 in 2025. That's an increase of more than 300%, the biggest jump in the league.

The team's on-field success is certainly the main contributing factor in this price hike, as the Lions won the NFC North for the first time in team history in 2023 and then got even better in 2024, securing the best record in the NFC during the regular season. While 2025 was a bit of a letdown as the team went 9-8, the high-level success of the previous two seasons following decades of largely mediocre play still excited the fanbase and drove ticket demand and prices through the roof for fans looking to get into a game at Ford Field.

In 2015, the Raiders played in an aging stadium in Oakland, California. However, by 2025, the team had moved into one of the newest and most expensive stadiums in the NFL, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The move to a new city and a new stadium has consistently made Raiders tickets some of the most expensive in the NFL in recent seasons. It's no surprise that the total cost of the game day experience has jumped by 238% for Raiders fans, which is the second-biggest increase of any team.

One more team has seen the cost of attending a game more than triple in the last decade, and there are reasons to believe pricing trends for this squad will continue to rise. In 2015, fans were paying $91 per person to attend a Buffalo Bills game, and in 2025 that number had jumped to $294, an increase of 223%. Heading into the 2026-2027 NFL season, the Bills are opening a new $2.2 billion stadium, which is already spiking demand and ticket prices among the fanbase.

Where NFL experiences are getting less expensive

As with most things in the U.S., rising prices for NFL games aren't exactly news to many. As the cost of goods has risen over the last decade, more Americans are looking for ways to save money, better ways to budget, and ways to earn more money for the things they want. Not all fanbases have seen drastic increases, though.

Costs to attend a New Orleans Saints game have decreased by 6% since 2015, going from an average cost of $117 in 2015 to $110 in 2025. Similarly, game day costs fell by 5% for Indianapolis Colts fans, going from $110 on average in 2015 to $104 in 2025.

Overall, a little more than half of the league (17 teams) raised prices at a rate greater than the national rate of inflation (36.5%) since 2015, two teams saw prices decrease compared to a decade ago, and 13 teams raised costs but did so at a rate slower than inflation. The average price increase across the entire league from 2015 to 2025 was 72%.

NFL ticket prices continue to rise for the 2026-2027 season

When it comes to saving money on the NFL experience, there's no bigger line item than the cost of entry. The average ticket to an NFL game was $196 during the 2025-2026 season. To get a sense of how the 2026-2027 season might look, we pulled the cheapest pair of non-standing-room seats on SeatGeek for every team's home opener.

As mentioned, this year will be the debut season for the brand-new multi-billion-dollar Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. Fan excitement to check out the Bills' new home has already impacted demand and ticket markets, with the cheapest pair of seats to Buffalo's home opener going for $646. That is nearly $300 more expensive than any other team in the league, as tickets for the Chicago Bears' first home game come with the second-biggest price tag in the league at $361.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Cleveland Browns have the lowest opening ticket prices of any team, which can be explained by the team's low expectations, less-than-ideal quarterback situation, and the offseason trade of franchise icon Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. As a result, a pair of get-in seats to Cleveland's first home game costs just $42, a dollar less expensive than tickets to see the first home game for the Los Angeles Chargers.

As mentioned, tickets typically make up the largest chunk of costs associated with attending an NFL game in person, so major changes to ticket prices can really impact a fan's bottom line.

Looking strictly at ticket prices, Detroit Lions ticket prices increased more than those of any other team in the league. In 2015, a home Lions ticket cost just $79, while in 2025, fans were looking at an average cost of $386, an increase of about 389%. One other team saw ticket costs go up by at least 300% from 2015 to 2025, as the Raiders' move to a state-of-the-art stadium in a new city has seen ticket prices go from $65 on average to $281, a 334% increase.

NFL teams whose beer prices have risen the most

Enjoying a beer at the game is an integral part of the game day experience for many NFL fans, but it costs more in some stadiums than others.

Browns fans may have the cheapest ticket prices in the NFL, but the same can't be said of their beer prices. In 2015, a 16-ounce pour cost the Dawg Pound just $5, while in 2025 that same beer came with a $12.35 price tag. That is an increase of 147% in that time, the highest rate in the league.

Five other teams doubled beer prices in that same time, including a pair of teams that share a stadium. Beer prices went from $5 to $12 (+140%) for games hosted at MetLife Stadium, home of both the New York Giants and New York Jets, while beer at Cincinnati Bengals games went from $5 to $11.49 (+130%) and prices doubled for both the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks.

How to combat rising ticket prices

While ticket prices aren't always in fans' control, there are some ways fans can save on attending in person.

For instance, the secondary market can sometimes actually offer lower-priced tickets than buying directly from teams. While prices on sites like StubHub and SeatGeek are largely a function of supply and demand, ticket prices can be lowered (often below face value) by factors like the popularity of a visiting team, injuries to star players, or even the weather. There's also data that shows NFL ticket prices significantly decrease closer to game time.

Whether you're buying directly from the team or on the secondary market, using a cash back credit card can help offset some ticket costs and fees. Similarly, some travel credit cards may offer credits or rewards for rideshares (like Uber and Lyft) to games, putting something extra in your pocket while also saving you the cost of a parking pass.

Lastly, in the event you're unable to go to a game, there are plenty of ways to stream NFL games from home even if they're out of market.

Manage your game day spending

• Tackle your finances throughout the entire season. Beat inflation with a high-yield savings account and earn at least 3.5% APY.
• Make extra cash from your new football merch. Certain cash back credit cards offer generous welcome offers and won't charge you an annual fee.
• Earn points on your stadium trips. Whether you're a season-pass holder or someone who goes to a tailgate every once in a while, you should benefit from your travel. One way to earn high rewards is by signing up for a gas credit card.

Methodology

2015 pricing data for all items was collected from the 2015 version of the NFL Fan Cost Index, which was compiled by Team Marketing Report. Team Marketing Report did not release a 2025 Fan Cost Index, and as a result, the 2025 data for beer and hot dog prices comes from multiple sources, including official team websites and menus, news articles published during the 2025-2026 season, and via manually reviewing multiple fan-produced videos from the 2025-2026 season featuring concession menu boards.

Ticket prices for 2025 were based on data published by the secondary-market ticket platform SeatGeek at the end of the season, while parking costs were aggregated from multiple sources, including team websites, travel blogs, and user review platforms.

Inflation rates are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator.

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