Photo of the field at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns.

Eight Sundays per year, NFL stadiums transform into all day festivals compared to the other three professional sports leagues. There are 41 home games per year in the NBA, 41 home games per year in the NHL and 81 home games per year in Major League Baseball. With less home games, the cost of seeing your favorite NFL team comes with an expensive price tag. We have prepared a list of the four most expensive NFL stadiums to see a game in. It comes as no surprise that the most expensive stadiums to see a game in can be found in some of the country's largest cities. 

 

4. Soldier Field (Chicago Bears)

View of the playing field at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

With a fan cost index in excess of $550, a Chicago sports fan could purchase a ticket to a Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs and Chicago Blackhawks game for less money than that. A classic team like the Chicago Bears that play in the smallest stadium in the NFL results in high demand and a small supply of tickets. High demand yields an expensive ticket. With nearly 100% of Soldier Field's tickets belonging to season ticket holders, the secondary ticket market prices will only inflate the price of Chicago Bears tickets in the future. Little do most fans know, the ticket scalpers you find on the street are also often season ticket holders. 

 

3. Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots)

View of the field at Gillette Stadium during a New England Patriots game.

After playing in five Super Bowls in the last decade, the New England Patriots have acquired many "new" fans. These "new" fans have only driven up the price of attending New England Patriots home games. With a fan cost index of $600 and an average ticket price of $120, Gillette Stadium is no stranger to inflated game day costs. Gillette Stadium's luxurious Putnam Club (the red seats on the second level) has an average ticket price of $570. The cost of Putnam Club tickets does skew the fan cost index for the New England Patriots some. What people are paying that much money for football tickets? Corporations and wealthy season ticket holders.

 

2. AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys) 

Exterior photo of AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

AT&T Stadium is often assumed to be both the largest and most expensive stadium in the NFL. Turns out, it is neither. However, AT&T Stadium is not a place for football fans with empty pockets. The fan cost index for Dallas Cowboys home games comes in at a ghastly $614 and an average ticket price of $110. The cost of parking? A parking spot at AT&T Stadium comes in at $80; a league high. When you choose to cheer for the most popular team in the National Football League, don't complain when you can't afford to see them up close and in person. The only chance many Dallas Cowboys fans have at seeing the team in person is by purchasing a "Party Pass" ticket which is a fancy way of saying "Standing Room Only". 

 

 

1. Metlife Stadium (New York Giants/Jets)

View of the field at Metlife Stadium from the upper level.

Metlife Stadium is the only NFL stadium that is home to two tenants; the New York Giants and New York Jets. It was only right that Metlife Stadium was built to be the largest NFL stadium in the country's largest city. (The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers will share a stadium when it's completed in a few years.) What's hilarious is that Metlife Stadium isn't in New York but is instead located in New Jersey. What's also astonishing is New York Jets tickets are more expensive than New York Giants tickets despite the Giants winning two Super Bowl titles in the past ten seasons.

The New York Jets have a fan cost index of $630 and an average ticket price of $121; both more than any other NFL stadium. The fan cost index for a New York Giants fan isn't much cheaper with the average family spending $592 per game. Many football fans in New York City can decrease the financial burden of attending a Jets or Giants game by taking using Uber or taking a cab to New Jersey. Parking at Metlife Stadium has been known to cost as much as $50 per vehicle. Metlife Stadium also allows fans to bring in their own food from off the street as long as it is sealed correctly. 

The cheapest NFL experience can be found when seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Sadly, those teams haven't given NFL fans much to cheer about in recent years. Fortunately for them, the NFL's revenue sharing works to their benefit.

 

JUMP TO