The NFL could not have asked for a better Big Game. The 49ers and the Chiefs will face off this Sunday. The legendary, classic franchise versus the current dynasty of the league. McCaffery and Purdy vs Kelce and Mahomes, and with Travis Kelce comes his family and super-star girlfriend, Taylor Swift. On top of that, this is going down in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the nation! All these components come together to make this one of the most hyped NFL championship games ever!
With so many different intriguing factors, it is no surprise that ticket demand and prices are hitting record highs. According to a secondary ticket resale platform, demand during the first day of sales for 2024’s Big Game was up 150% over 2023. This unprecedented demand has led to staggeringly high prices.
The average early ticket price was a shocking $10,752, that is the highest average ticket price for the NFL championship in history! The cheapest early ticket price was an astounding $8,529 according to TicketIQ CEO Jesse Lawrence, and the most expensive ticket was a suite seat at the 30-yard line that was listed for $60,130 before brokerage fees. The get-in price will knock you back around $8,000, which is 35% more than last year. Many factors such as the rabid fan bases of the two teams, the location of the game, and the limited capacity of the stadium contribute to these sky-high costs. If these prices hold, this will be the most expensive Big Game of all time by a large margin!
Business professionals are itching to get into the Big Game. The NFL championship remains the premier event in the country to build relationships. The Big Game will be attended by countless top executives from the world’s premier brands, creating a hotbed of business and networking.
Advertisers are feeling the incredible demand as well, as cost for ad spots during the Big Game are at an all-time high. Reports state that CBS, the broadcasting partner of this year’s Big Game, is asking for upwards of $7-7.5 million per 30-second ad, and companies are happily obliging. CBS sold out of its entire advertisement inventory all the way back in early November!
Despite these sky-high prices, brands’ desire to advertise during the Big Game makes sense. It is inarguable that the Big Game may be the best avenue for advertisers to reach the largest audience possible, all in one spot. Last year’s championship was watched by over 113 million people with this year expected to draw even more, making the Big Game the premier advertising spot in all of broadcast television.
Sponsors are also jumping at the chance to get in on the Big Game. This year has been very fruitful for the NFL when it comes to sponsorship. As I mentioned in a recent TicketManager blog, the league generated around $2.35 billion in sponsorship revenue during the 2022-23 season. That is up over 15% from the previous year! The Big Game is undoubtably the premier avenue for sponsorship and activation.
Our friends and partners at Verizon are using their activation rights to promote some of its partnerships, with customer-only events being held on each night of the Big Game weekend. Each night will be dedicated to one of their content partners, Netflix, Max and Apple Music. The Las Vegas Sphere has also been a hotspot for sponsors, with the NFL reaching an exclusivity agreement with the futuristic venue. Through this deal, only NFL league-level sponsors will be able to utilize the 580,000 sq ft LED display during the week leading up to the NFL championship game.
This weekend will see hundreds of millions of eyes look towards Sin City and the NFL championship game. Big Game-goers, advertisers, sponsors, and professionals alike are anticipating a game for the ages, and all signs point to it being a weekend that the country will not soon forget!