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When is the best time to buy NFL tickets?
What we’ll try to determine here is if there really is a good time and a bad time to buy NFL tickets.
Additionally, we’ll talk about other factors that influence ticket prices, and what to do if you don’t feel like waiting it out.
The best time to buy NFL tickets…
When it comes to cost…
“The best time to buy NFL tickets is within 1 week of the game“
But lest you get the wrong idea, let me say that what you read here isn’t a methodology for scoring cheap NFL tickets. Truly, there’s no foolproof strategy when it comes to this.
On the contrary, all you can do is improve your chances of saving money in the long run.
And the best time not to buy NFL tickets? Namely, before the start of the regular season.
How To Find The Cheapest NFL Tickets
On average, NFL ticket prices are highest right after tickets go on sale. Subsequently, they decline during the summer, then rise again about a week before the regular season begins.
Then, once things get rolling, prices generally decrease as the season wears on:
- The average lowest ticket price for the final 7 weeks of the 2017 season was 13.2% less than the overall average.
- Likewise – although it wasn’t nearly as much — the 2019 average for weeks 11-17 was also lower (4.4%).
Furthermore, there is an optimal time for purchasing tickets, independent of how many weeks have elapsed.
The Best Place to Buy NFL Tickets for Each Team
According to fromthisseat.com, you’ll save the most money on NFL tickets if you buy within 7 days of the game. The exception to this is a team’s first home game of the year.
In addition to the 7-day rule, there are also…
Other factors that determine the best time to buy NFL tickets
Of the additional factors that can affect ticket prices from week to week, and game to game, the following 2 are the most influential:
- Team success. Success, expressly, as measured in wins. Notably, this applies not only to the home team, but to its opponent as well. As the visualization shows, there’s a strong correlation between initial ticket price and number of wins in the prior year. The top 8 teams in terms of ticket price averaged 9.38 wins.
- But, you’re thinking, “that’s last year, what about this year?” As an illustration, the following graphic indicates in-season wins also affect ticket prices, at least in 2019: 11 of the 16 teams with 8 or more wins saw their average ticket price increase by season’s end.
- By and large, if you want to save some money, then the time to buy NFL tickets is when your team is playing a lesser-quality opponent.
- As previously mentioned, there’s also a strong correlation between price and the opposing team’s success. Here, the top 8 teams in terms of price averaged 10 wins:
- Weather. Weather, at least in terms of temperature, had minimal effect on average ticket prices in 2019. The top 8 teams in terms of ticket price had average game time temperatures of 56℉, which was 5 below the league norm. However, there are 2 reasons why this data in inconclusive:
- Small sample size – It covers the 2019 season only.
- Other weather conditions – Excludes data for snow & rain.
Generally speaking, this information can be useful when it comes to saving money.
What we’ve learned so far
- Typically, NFL tickets get cheaper closer to the date of the game.
- Buying tickets on the day of the game can save you up to 20%.
- A team’s record, as well as their opponents, can strongly affect ticket prices.
- Game time temperature, on the other hand, has little influence on cost.
So what?!
So this…
- You like to plan ahead, and the very idea of waiting till the last minute to buy tickets to the game turns you off.
- You could care less about who your team plays, as long as you get to enjoy the game.
- Ditto for weather conditions. Barring a blizzard, you’re going to the game – after all, this isn’t baseball.
- You need a more substantial way of getting cheaper tickets.
Conclusion
- The best time to buy NFL tickets is generally within a week of the game.
- If you can, avoid buying NFL tickets prior to the start of the regular season.
- Ticket prices usually get cheaper as the season progresses.
- When it comes to saving money, how & when you buy your tickets is not nearly as important as where.