The 2015 NFL Season, Behind the Numbers
The 2015 NFL season was one of the most memorable yet, with the Panthers nearly completing a perfect regular season, and Peyton Manning riding off into the sunset a champion after the Broncos won the Super Bowl. By analyzing the ticket buying and selling behavior of millions of NFL fans this season, SeatGeek compiled its first-ever NFL post-season report with some of the most interesting ticket-buying trends of this NFL season. Findings include which team has the most mobile-forward fans, which tickets were the best value, and the most popular time to buy NFL tickets.
The Broncos won the Super Bowl, and the title of highest resale prices.
With an average resale price of $314 a ticket, the Broncos had the most in-demand tickets on the secondary market this year, topping the Patriots ($300 avg. resale) and the Seahawks ($299). Broncos tickets were actually up 25% in price from last season, at least partially because of home games against the Packers and Patriots this season. Typically prices on the secondary market rise after a team wins a title, but with Peyton Manning considering retirement, that trend may not show up next season.
Last minute buying is still the way to go, especially in San Francisco.
While plenty of fans like to purchase their tickets in advance, the most popular day to buy tickets on the secondary market during the 2015 season was actually the day of the game. In particular fans of the 49ers, Falcons and Dolphins waited the longest, while fans of the Packers, Bengals and Bills planned ahead the most. While inventory may be limited, many fans may wait until the last minute to see if prices drop, as sellers are forced to offload their tickets. It is also worth noting that the three teams that have the longest waits are in warmer cities, while the three fan groups that buy their tickets ahead of time are in colder weather cities.
Chiefs tickets had the best value.
If wins are an indicator of how good a team is, then the Chiefs were this season’s best value when comparing the amount of wins with the average resale price of a ticket. The Vikings and Bengals, two other playoff teams with relatively inexpensive tickets, were also great values. On the other end of the spectrum were the Cowboys, Giants and Titans, who all struggled mightily this year, but still saw fans paying for higher ticket prices on the secondary market.
Even at away games the Panthers bandwagon was strong.
With Carolina chasing an undefeated season, Panthers tickets not only went up in price at home while the season wore on, they also became a hotter ticket to see on the road. Their Week 16 game against the Falcons (which became their first loss) saw ticket prices rise 128% from the beginning of the season, while their Week 15 matchup at the Giants saw prices go up 59%.
Raiders fans love their iPhones, hate their desktops.
This season the Raiders made the highest percentage of purchases on their iPhones compared to other NFL fans, and also had the lowest percentage of purchases on the desktop site. The Chiefs led the way on Android, while Packers fans resorted to their iPads the most. Patriots fans were the most old-school, resorting to the desktop site more than any other fanbase in the NFL.
The 49ers have the most mobile-forward fans
While not all teams offer barcode entrance, 49ers fans embraced mobile entry more than any other fanbase in the league. This of course makes sense, considering San Francisco is the tech capital of the country. Following the 49ers were the Seahawks and the Dolphins.