$8,000 Per Super Bowl Ticket? How Much Were Tickets to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara Really?

February 9, 2026--As the echoes of Super Bowl LX fade from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California-where the New England Patriots faced off against the Seattle Seahawks in a highly anticipated rematch-the question lingers for fans still reeling from the price tags: Were those eye-popping resale figures really what it cost to attend the big game?

Viral clips and social media posts circulated widely in the lead-up to Sunday's championship, with attendees boasting (or lamenting) tickets purchased for $8,000 or more per seat on the secondary market. Some reports pegged average resale prices around $7,000 to $8,000 in the days and weeks before kickoff, while "get-in" prices-the cheapest available single tickets-hovered between $4,000 and $6,000 on platforms like StubHub, SeatGeek, TickPick, and Vivid Seats earlier in February. Late surges and drops saw final entry-level seats dip as low as roughly $3,200 to $3,800 including fees in the hours before the game, according to tracking services like TicketData.

But those numbers tell only part of the story. The original face value prices set by the NFL were dramatically lower-and far more accessible, at least in theory.According to multiple reports from CBS Sports, USA TODAY Sports, and ticket analysts, Super Bowl LX face value tickets ranged from $950 for the cheapest upper-level seats (typically in the 400 sections, far from the field) up to $8,500 for the most premium options, such as lower-level or club seats.

These printed prices applied to the limited allocation distributed through official channels: primarily to the participating teams (each receiving about 12,450 tickets for players, staff, and select season-ticket holders), NFL partners, sponsors, and a small lottery for eligible fans.

The vast majority of tickets never hit the open market at those rates. Most were snapped up by corporate buyers, suite holders, or resold immediately at massive markups. As a result, the secondary market-fueled by high demand for a star-studded matchup in the Bay Area-quickly inflated prices to levels that made the event feel like a luxury exclusive rather than a national spectacle.

Ticket experts note this pattern is standard for recent Super Bowls. Face value has remained relatively stable in the $950–$8,500 range in recent years, but resale averages often climb into the five-figure territory for prime seats, especially when hype peaks post-conference championships.

For the average fan hoping to attend in person, the reality remains harsh: securing a ticket at anything close to face value is "almost impossible" without connections to the NFL or one of the teams, as CBS Sports described it. Most end up paying the secondary premium-or opting for the couch and a big-screen TV.

As one analyst put it amid the post-game chatter: The Super Bowl ticket market isn't just about football anymore-it's a barometer of how much fans are willing (or able) to pay for the ultimate live experience in an era of skyrocketing demand and limited supply.

Super Bowl LX may have delivered on the field, but off it, the price of admission underscored a growing divide between the game's elite access and everyday fandom.