Packers-Bears ticket prices increase as teams square off in meaningful game for both
GREEN BAY – It will come as no surprise that secondary market ticket prices for the Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears game got more expensive after Green Bay's impressive victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.
The average get-in price, determined by surveying 11 secondary marketplaces, was $150 on Monday, up $20 from last week, but eight of the Packers' 16 games so far cost more than that the weeks of the games. The lowest-cost face value tickets at Lambeau Field are $129. Mid-field seats, the most expensive in the bowl, are $165, which makes this a relatively reasonably-priced game.
A couple factors might play into the lower overall price. It's usually not a great weather game, although the forecast for Sunday is for mostly cloudy and a high of 35, which counts as balmy in January in Green Bay. Also, fans didn't know when the game would be played until the end of the Packers' Sunday night game against the Minnesota Vikings, which makes it harder to sell or buy tickets.
As far as Packers-Bears games go, this one counts more than most in the past 30 years. The Packers are 49-15 against the Bears since Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren joined the team in 1992. The rivalry has gotten by on tradition but not much else as the Packers thoroughly dominated the past three decades. Their last important game was in January 2011, a 21-14 NFC championship victory for the Packers at Soldier Field on their way to winning Super Bowl XLV.
That might change now that the Bears, like the Packers, seem to be reaping the rewards of their rebuilding efforts. The Bears are 5-2 over their past seven games, and, like the Packers, defeated the division-leading Detroit Lions and the Vikings. One of their losses was by three points to the equally impressive Cleveland Browns, a game that they led by 10 points going into the fourth quarter.
A lot has changed since the Packers defeated the Bears 38-20 in the season opener at Soldier Field. The Packers weren't as good as their lopsided victory implied and the Bears at the time were just as bad as they looked. But both teams have been on the upswing recently, which could make Sunday's game a real donnybrook.
Ticket prices
For our look at Packers' tickets prices, we average the lowest ticket prices at 11 secondary-market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticket King, Ticketmaster, TickPick, TicketSmarter and Vivid Seats.
Note that ticket brokers can add fees on top of the prices listed here, so actual costs might be higher.
The Packers announced they will sell standing-room-only tickets for all home games this season. The face value of SRO tickets is $93. The SRO section is on the fourth level of the south end zone.
As the standing-room-only tickets are designated as not available for resale, any tickets found on the secondary market cannot be verified, so buyers should proceed at their own risk. If fans purchase standing-room-only tickets on the secondary market and encounter issues with the tickets, their only recourse would be to contact the ticket seller.
The get-in price averages do not include standing-room-only tickets.
The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Jan. 1:
More: The Packers now control their own destiny in chase for NFC playoffs, need to defeat Bears in Week 18
Jan. 7 Lambeau Field, Chicago Bears, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Face-price range: $129-$165
Average lowest-cost seat: $150
Price on Dec. 26: $142
Range of lowest-cost seats: $119-$183
Bears results: Chicago is 7-9. The Bears defeated the Atlanta Falcons 37-17 on Sunday.
What matters about this game? If the Packers win, they are in the playoffs. And while the Bears have nothing to lose, playoff-wise, this game has significance for them. If they defeat the Packers, they will finish 8-9, tied with the Packers and the Vikings and sending a message that they are perhaps not owned by anyone any more.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers-Bears ticket prices increase with playoffs, pride on the line
