No Mahomes-Rodgers matchup drives down ticket prices for Packers-Chiefs game
Richard Ryman
GREEN BAY – With Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes likely out for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers, ticket prices are falling dramatically.
Prices for the average lowest-cost seats at Arrowhead Stadium were $47 less Monday afternoon than they were Monday morning, and $117 lower than four weeks ago, before Mahomes dislocated his kneecap against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 17. One of the attractions of the coming "Sunday Night Football" game was Mahomes, last year's NFL MVP, playing against a resurgent Aaron Rodgers.
The average price for the cheapest seats was $278 on Sept. 28 . On Monday morning, it was $208, with some prices as low as $150. Six hours later it was $161, with prices as low as $127. Prices normally come down as game time approaches, but that is a bigger drop than usual, especially in one day.
Curiously, the overall average ticket price, which includes all tickets offered for sale, climbed from $420 to $422 during the past week, according to secondary market ticket broker SeatGeek. That means the better seats are getting more expensive as the game nears. According to SeatGeek, average ticket prices for the 300 sections were $299, while the average for the 100 sections was $479.
The Packers on Sunday defeated the Oakland Raiders 42-24 at Lambeau Field behind one of the best games in Rodgers' career. He posted a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3, passed for five touchdowns and 429 yards, and ran for another TD. The Packers are 6-1 under new coach Matt LaFleur.
The Chiefs (5-2) are struggling. They lost two consecutive games at home before beating the 2-5 Broncos 30-6 on Thursday. Mahomes left the game with a 10-6 lead. His replacement, Matt Moore, threw for 117 yards and a touchdown, but a Rodgers-Moore matchup doesn't have the same attraction to ticket buyers.
Much different is the Packers-Los Angeles Chargers game on Nov. 3. The average of lowest-priced tickets for that game was higher for the third consecutive week, from $312 on Oct. 7 to $344 on Monday. The Chargers are only 2-5, but the game is in Los Angeles, a midseason mecca for Packers fans. And the 30,000-seat Dignity Health Sports Park adds scarcity to demand, which equals higher prices. It could well be a pseudo-home game for the Packers.
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The Packers have only three home games left this season, the next against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 10. The average lowest price for that game increased $11 over the last week, to $137, although tickets were listed for as low as $115. If the Packers keep winning, prices could continue to climb for that game, the last before the Packers' bye week.
For our weekly look at Packers' tickets prices, we average the lowest ticket prices at eight secondary-market websites: Event USA, Green Bay Ticket Service, NFL Exchange, StubHub, TickPick, Ticket King, SeatGeek and VividSeats. Note that ticket brokers can add fees on top of prices listed here, so actual costs might be higher.
Oct. 27, 7:20 p.m., Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium, NBC, "Sunday Night Football"
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): N/A
- Average lowest seat: $161
- Range of lowest seat: $127-$295
- Standing-room-only: N/A
Nov. 3, 3:25 p.m., Los Angeles Chargers, Dignity Health Sports Park, CBS
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): N/A
- Average lowest seat: $344
- Range of lowest seat: $296-$399
- Standing-room-only: N/A
Nov. 10, noon, Carolina Panthers, Lambeau Field, Fox
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): $111-$142
- Average lowest seat: $137
- Range of lowest seat: $115-$176
- Standing-room-only: $85
Nov. 24, 3:25 p.m., San Francisco 49ers, Levi's Stadium, Fox
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): N/A
- Average lowest seat: $184
- Range of lowest seat: $157-$229
- Standing-room-only: N/A
Contact Richard Ryman at 920-431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/