Forbes: Bengals Tix Prices Soar

[HoosierCat]

This is...interesting.

/>http://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/06/27/bengals-tickets-most-expensive-in-four-years-40-above-last-season/

According to TiqIQ, the average price for Bengals tickets during the 2014 season is $166.02. Though it remains one of the least expensive home averages in the NFL this year, it is the first season since TiqIQ has kept track of data the Bengals have a season average above $120. Last season, the home average at Paul Brown Stadium was just $118.74. The most expensive home game on the Bengals schedule in 2013 was the Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, which had an average price of $159.07, 4% below this season’s average. Even Cincinnati’s home playoff game against the San Diego Chargers had a lower average price than this year’s season average at $134.31.

The secondary market average for the Bengals has barely moved in the previous three seasons. The year-to-year trend was less than 1% each year from 2011 to 2013. The 2011 season average, coming off a 4-12 season, was $117. The multi-year price increase from 2011 to 2013 was just 1.5%. From 2013 to 2014 alone the average price has increased 40%.

Cincinnati opens the season in Baltimore Week 1 with the most expensive game on the 2014 Ravens schedule. The average price is $373.60, 73.6% higher than Cincinnati’s most expensive game. However, with the get-in price of $75 and the lowest Baltimore hotels on HipMunk for a one-night stay from Saturday to Sunday starting at $92, Bengals fans could travel the 500 miles and attend the Ravens opener at M&T Bank Stadium for right around the average price of a home game this season.

In CincinnatiTwo games this season have an average price above $200. Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers has an average price of $213.30, 28.5% above the season average, and a get-in price of $51. The most expensive game is a Monday Night Football matchup against the Denver Broncos in Week 16 with an average price of $215.18, 29.6% above the season average. That price could even increase if that game late in the season has seeding in the AFC playoffs on the line.

As the Bengals seek their fourth straight winning season and playoff appearance, fan optimism around the team has made its biggest impact on the secondary market. In the fourth year under quarterback Andy Dalton, along with star receiver A.J. Green and young contributors such as Giovanni Bernard and Tyler Eifert, the offense could be on par with the defense, making the Bengals a legitimate AFC threat. While many Bengals fans would like to see a playoff victory instead of three straight first round exits, the team’s regular season success has not gone unnoticed.

Hmmmm. I'm not sure I'm buying that whole "fan optimism" theory put forth in the last graf, though I'd like to. Where were all these fans when the team was struggling to sell out games last season, including the playoff game against the Chargers? But now, after that ugly loss, they are suddenly throwing money at the ticket office? I'd guess there's more of an effort going on here to pump money out of visiting teams' fans' pockets.

[Walrus]

Hmmmm. I'm not sure I'm buying that whole "fan optimism" theory put forth in the last graf, though I'd like to. Where were all these fans when the team was struggling to sell out games last season, including the playoff game against the Chargers? But now, after that ugly loss, they are suddenly throwing money at the ticket office? I'd guess there's more of an effort going on here to pump money out of visiting teams' fans' pockets.

It's a phenomenon known as the "Bodine Effect".

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah, I think the problems with selling tickets only increases this season.

Bodine or no Bodine.