Super Bowl tickets often reach crazy highs, but the hype ahead of the 2008 Super Bowl entailed that this game attracted the highest ticket prices to hit the ticketing booths in years.
As had been the case in previous years, in the run-up to the 2008 Super Bowl, even the most die-hard fans were struggling to find the cash to get their hands on tickets. However, 2008 broke all previous records. The unique combination of hugely popular teams and the fact that the finalists derived from major cities populated by cash-rich individuals who were accustomed to paying high stakes to access entertainment, entailed that fans were willing to shell out some big bucks to get a seat at the game.
A further motivating factor that directly led to the soaring ticket prices was the fact that the Patriots headed into the game hoping to complete a record-breaking undefeated season. Although the Pats had played the Super Bowl in recent years, the promise of a potentially historic season entailed that many Bostonians were more than willing to pay well over the odds to snag a seat at the stadium so that they could witness the game in person.
But what exactly did the hottest tickets in town sell for?
2008 Super Bowl Ticket Prices
Upon release from the NFL, the 2008 Super Bowl tickets had a face value of $700 or $900; however, days following their release, the ticket price on the street was something entirely different.
The 70,000 tickets that were initially released for the 2008 game between the Patriots and the Giants had originally been distributed according to the following equation: 17.5% each to the competing teams, 5% to the team of the host city (the Arizona Cardinals), 34.8% split between the remaining teams in the league, and the remaining 25.2% to members of the media, fans, and NFL sponsors.
However, following this initial distribution, a huge swathe of tickets started to hit the streets, and the former face value became a dim and distant memory. In fact, many ticket prices on the secondary market hit an all-time high.
Average prices of around $3,000 a ticket were reported in the days running up the big game, but this was small fry in comparison to what some avid fans were willing to shell out.
A few days before the game, tickets were reportedly being sold on eBay to the tune of $77,000 for two. Elsewhere, on StubHub, a single club seat was listed for a huge $19,446, and one lucky fan secured a private luxury suite at the game for a whopping $224,825.
2008 Super Bowl Ticket Price Summary
Host Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.
Face Value: $800 ($700 or $900)
Inflation-adjusted face value price (2017): $879.64
Average Price: $3,536
Lowest Price: $700
Most Expensive: $224,825 (including a luxury private suite)
Average thirty-second Super Bowl advertising spot: $2,700,000
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