Packers' victories come with a cost, higher ticket prices, except for this week
GREEN BAY – Two significant victories by the Green Bay Packers did not change the trajectory of ticket prices for the coming game against the New York Giants, but the next three games show more resilience.
The Packers, who defeated Detroit on Thanksgiving and Kansas City on Sunday, travel to New Jersey this week to face the Giants. The average get-in price for that game is $36, less than the cost of a parking pass at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The average get-in price, which is determined by averaging the least expensive tickets at 11 secondary marketplaces, has been falling for weeks as the Giants have stumbled to a 4-8 record. The Packers, on the other hand, won their third consecutive game Sunday with their 27-19 defeat of the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, climbing to 6-6 and putting themselves back in the NFC playoff picture.
The get-in average for the following game, Tampa Bay at Green Bay on Dec. 17, increased by $24 to $111. The Buccaneers are 5-7, pulling out a three-point victory on Sunday over the 1-11 Carolina Panthers, who are laboring mightily to deliver the No. 1 draft pick to the Chicago Bears (the result of a trade earlier this year).
The Packers play in Carolina on Christmas Eve, then comes the biggest game remaining on the schedule, a New Year's Eve contest at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Carolina get-in average is $50, compared to $49 last week, and the Vikings' lowest average cost is $257, up from $171 in August.
With the youngest team in the NFL, and by far the youngest offense, the Packers may stumble again before the season is over, but if they keep winning, expect the cost of the Vikings game and the season finale against the rival Bears at Lambeau Field to climb.
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 Dec. 4:
Dec. 11, 7:15 p.m., MetLife Stadium, New York Giants, ABC
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $36
Price on Nov. 27: $39
Range of lowest-cost seats: $28-$47
Giants results: New York is 4-8. The Giants were on a bye last week.
What matters about this game? The Giants snuck past hapless New England 10-7 two weeks ago. With starting quarterback Daniel Jones out for the season, the Giants aren't sure whether to start Tommy DeVito or Tyrod Taylor, who's coming off the injury list. That's usually not a good recipe for success. The Packers meanwhile are riding a wave of confidence after defeating the division leading Lions in Detroit and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs at Lambeau Field.
If the Packers win, they will keep pace with or pass the Vikings in the division. Minnesota, which has its own quarterback problems, play the Las Vegas Raiders this week, another team with quarterback issues. All of which makes Packers' starter Jordan Love look better and better.
Dec. 17, noon, Lambeau Field, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fox
Face-price range: $129-$165
Average lowest-cost seat: $111
Price on Nov. 27: $87
Range of lowest-cost seats: $86-$150
Bucs results: Tampa Bay is 5-7. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 21-18 on Sunday.
What matters about this game? Tampa Bay's been up and down, defeating the Vikings and the Bears, but losing to the Lions, among the Packers' fellow NFC North opponents. The bottom line is, Tampa Bay has not defeated a team with a winning record this season. And coming into Green Bay in mid-December can't be considered a plus for the warm-weather Bucs. Still ....
Dec. 24, noon, Bank of America Stadium, Carolina Panthers, Fox
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $50
Price on Nov. 27: $49
Range of lowest-cost seats: $39-$69
Panthers results: Carolina is 1-11. The Panthers lost to Tampa Bay 21-18 on Sunday.
What matters about this game? Could be, should be, another notch in the Packers' belt. The Panthers replaced their head coach before the Bucs game, but the result was the same as 10 other times this season. Also, the Packers' historically play well on Christmas Eve, compiling a 6-1 record.
There are always Packers fans willing to travel, even on a holiday. If Green Bay keeps winning, demand for these tickets might increase, especially if they start at this level.
Dec. 31, 7:20 p.m., U.S. Bank Stadium, Minnesota Vikings, NBC
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $257
Price in August: $171
Range of lowest-cost seats: $121-$364
Vikings results: Minnesota is 6-6. The Vikings were on a bye last week.
What matters about this game? Could be a big game, with an equally big price. There are a lot of Packers fans in Minnesota, and U.S. Bank Stadium is an easy enough drive from anywhere in Wisconsin, so expect high demand, especially if there are playoff implications.
Beyond that, it's Packers vs. Vikings, which is a more intense, if less historic, rivalry than Packers-Bears. Even when the Packers were winning division titles under Matt LaFleur in 2019-2021, the Vikings were the biggest irritant, winning three times in seven games. The Packers are 5-4 against the Vikings since LaFleur took over.
The Vikings are yet another team that lost its starting quarterback and isn't sure who his replacement should be. The shine is off Josh Dobbs after his poor performance in a 12-10 loss to the Bears two weeks ago, but perhaps it will be ironed out over the next month.
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: Green Bay fans will pay a price if the Packers keep winning
