The Detroit Lions faced increased criticism from supporters for raising the price of tickets for the majority of season-ticket members.
Since last year, the price of tickets has jumped an average of 20 to 30% for the upcoming season.
Speaking with reporters at the annual owners meetings, team president Rod Wood indicated he had not heard many complaints, other than from brokers who were selling tickets at a profit. Detroit, like many NFL teams, tracks ticket sales and has the ability to cease suspected brokers from being able to purchase tickets.
“And you know, our game against the Commanders was the No. 1 postseason ticket price other than a Super Bowl in the history of the NFL. The two games the year before were the most expensive wild-card game and the most expensive divisional-round game," Wood said, via MLive. "So, our fans are hungry to go to the Lions game.
"You see them on the road, how they travel with us. It's just a function of the demand and the ability to price them at a point, I think, that’s still fair relative to what other teams are pricing their tickets at, and well below what the secondary market costs.”
The demand for tickets to Lions games has certainly skyrocketed. Playoff games at Ford Field the past couple of seasons have produced some of the highest-priced tickets to enter the game in the history of the NFL.
"We’re not pricing our tickets at $404 (second-hand market). We’re under $200 on average," said Wood. "So, we’re not going to jump to $400, but we are going to try and increase it to recognize what the market will carry.”
