Across the nation, anticipation is building for the Super Bowl, one of the most widely watched sporting events each year. Whether people are tuning in for the halftime show or the game, millions will be watching the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots take the field in Santa Clara, California. Most people will never get to see the game in person for several reasons, mainly the wild price. If you have ever thought about seeing the game in person, let’s see just how much that would cost you.

First, let’s talk about the price of a Super Bowl ticket

Unless you are a corporate executive, independently wealthy, have landed a very rich sugar daddy, or have some black market business, good luck. The price of Super Bowl tickets is not meant for a spontaneous purchase. These tickets are expensive. Like, cheap seats are currently going for about $6,000. We are talking nosebleed seats so far up in the air that you might be rock climbing at some point just to reach your seats.

Now, for some people, that price for those seats at the Super Bowl is worth it. For those who don’t just have the disposable income for these tickets, there might be other ways to get it. Sometimes, season ticket holders for the two competing teams have the chance to win tickets through a lottery. They are still expensive, but might come in a little more affordable for better seats. There are also people who save up for years to afford one ticket for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Outside of this, the general income bracket of people at the game hovers around the same tax bracket that gets the tax breaks.

Lodging is going to be another pricey part of going to the game

Hotel prices always spike around major events and the Super Bowl is a consistent culprit. The Super Bowl has a way of not only increasing the price of hotel rooms, the event can make them unaffordable. Looking at Booking.com, the average price for a hotel room, for a quick trip from Feb, 6-9 is going to run you between $800 and $1,200 a night. The price drops when you start getting outside of Santa Clara, California, for obvious reasons.

If you expand the search, you could end up booking tickets in San Francisco to still be close to the action without being in the municipality. Granted, San Francisco is not known for being affordable, so the pickings are still very slim. Staying outside of the host city comes with its own headaches, particularly transportation.

One of the best ways to enjoy an event like this in a new city is to take transportation out of the equation. Let’s say that you are $9,000 deep already for one ticket and your hotel stay. Needing a rental car could set you back another $190 to $400 for a long weekend in Santa Clara, plus gas.

Before you know it, your Super Bowl experience is nearing $10,000 before you take into account food and drinks both inside and outside of the stadium.

So, who is the game really for?

The short answer is NBC. The media organization that broadcasts the ads is making money from the advertisers. For example, in 2025, Fox Corporation broadcast the Super Bowl and made $800 million in gross revenue from selling ad space. A 30-second ad spot during the Super Bowl this year can cost up to $8 million.

The best way to enjoy the game is at home with friends and family. The average cost of hosting a Super Bowl party, no matter how many snacks and bottles you provide, will always be cheaper than attending in person. Plus, there’s something so special about having your favorite people in place to watch the biggest night in football.

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