Ticket Demand for Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

Just three years ago, the NFC West was the laughingstock of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks won the division title with a losing record (7-9) and, despite their shocking defeat of the New Orleans Saints at home in the Wild Card round, the division was written off as an also-ran that would need years to rebuild. Now, just three years later, it’s home to two of the more dominant forces in the league, as Seattle has continued to build on that bit of Wild Card success to stand alongside the San Francisco 49ers as models for success on both sides of the ball. The Niners represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last season, and the year before that they were in the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants.

Not only have these two franchises ascended to top of their division, but they’ve managed to quickly develop one of the more fierce rivalries in the league in the same period of time. Both sides have accomplished defenses which will be challenging young, exciting quarterbacks. Colin Kaepernick is still finding his path toward consistency at the helm of the Niners, and the return of receivers Michael Crabtree & Mario Manningham from injury should complement Vernon Davis and Frank Gore in the attack. Russell Wilson of the Seahawks has been putting his team’s versatility on full display, running alongside Marshawn Lynch and finding Golden Tate & Doug Baldwin down the field.

The teams’ styles and raucous home crowds have helped fuel the rivalry, as well, and their shared NFL playoff aspirations have this game on the national radar. As the 49ers prepare to move to Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, the team is leaving their longtime home at Candlestick Park with a bang, setting records for ticket demand and prices. Fans this week have paid an average of $414 for a ticket to Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, more than for any other regular season game in San Francisco since at least 2009. The previous high had been for the Niners’ Monday Night Football game against the Steelers on Dec. 19, 2011 ($393).

Beyond this developing rivalry, the chance to see the Niners’ final regular season game at Candlestick is also fetching a hefty price. Tickets to the Monday Night Football matchup on 12/23 versus Atlanta have sold for an average of $296 over the past week (already the third-highest average behind that 2011 Steelers game), but prices have been on the rise and will likely continue to climb. If the Seahawks manage clinch the NFC West, San Francisco will almost certainly play any potential playoff games of their own on the road as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed as an NFC Wild Card. We’ll have to see if they can return to the Super Bowl by having to go on the road for three straight games, possibly including the loud and unfriendly confines of Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.

San Francisco 49ers Tickets

Date Matchup Score City State Venue
12/8/13 Seahawks @ 49ers TBD San Fran CA Candlestick Park
9/15/13 49ers @ Seahawks 3-29 Seattle WA CenturyLink Field
12/23/12 49ers @ Seahawks 13-42 Seattle WA CenturyLink Field
10/18/12 Seahawks @ 49ers 6-13 San Fran CA Candlestick Park
12/24/11 49ers @ Seahawks 19-17 Seattle WA CenturyLink Field
9/11/11 Seahawks @ 49ers 17-33 San Fran CA Candlestick Park

San Francisco 49ers & Seattle Seahawks Highlights

The San Francisco 49ers & Seattle Seahawks have a tough, divisional rivalry on the field fueled by the storied history between their coaches, Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh. Their careers at USC and Stanford, respectively, intersected in the last decade and sparked a personal contention that obviously overflows into team culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VSMVbM3kas