Packers' ticket prices remain soft in wake of losses

Green Bay Press Gazette

Green Bay Packers cornerback Micah Hyde (33) returns a kickoff 70 yards before being tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Shamarko Thomas (29) on Dec. 22, 2013, at Lambeau Field. The Packers lost 38-31.

GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers tickets remained soft after the team's woeful performance Sunday in a 23-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field.

The Packers' next game is in Pittsburgh this weekend for Sunday Night Football. The 5-5 Packers have an apathy-inducing 1-4 record since Aaron Rodgers was injured against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 16, while Pittsburgh is 8-2 on the season and on a five-game winning streak.

Also, the game falls on the last weekend of deer-hunting season in Wisconsin and on Thanksgiving weekend, which can make travel difficult and expensive if arrangements aren't already made. The likelihood of last-minute purchases by Packers fans is not great.

What remains to be seen is how another Packers loss would affect ticket prices for the teams last five games, which include two at Lambeau Field and three on the road; two of them at places — Cleveland and Detroit — where Packers fans generally are not eager to go unless they have a reason.

The average lowest get-in price for the Steelers game, based on a survey of eight secondary-market websites, is $97, down from $115 last week and $170 before the start of the season.

Tickets, as a rule, decline in price as a game nears, unless it is a high-profile or high-stakes contest.

The game at Carolina on Dec. 17 is holding its value, relatively speaking, at $111, compared to $136 in late August. The Panthers are 7-3 and have won three straight, but they also lost to the Bears in Chicago. If the Packers can somehow right the ship in the next three weeks — they reasonably could be 7-6 entering that game — it could be attractive to Packers fans to be in the South on Dec. 17.

The next home game at Lambeau Field is Dec. 3, when Tampa Bay comes to town. The Buccaneers' franchise quarterback, Jameis Winston, is under investigation by the NFL for an allegedly groping a female Uber driver. Winston denied the allegation, but it is certainly a distraction for the 4-6 Buccaneers.

Prices for that game have fallen significantly, from $133 for the lowest get-in price in August to $116 the day after Rodgers was injured, to $76 on Monday.

Cleveland remains Cleveland. The Browns are 0-10, the game is on Dec. 10, and from Monday's viewpoint, its only interest will be whether the Packers continue to play so badly that it's one of Cleveland's few chances of winning this year. You could get into FirstEnergy Stadium for as low as $6, though the average lowest price hovers between $11 and $14.

Ticket prices at a glance

We surveyed tickets at eight secondary-market websites, including Event USA, NFL Ticket Exchange, SeatGeek, StubHub, ticketiQ, Ticket King, Titletown Tickets and Tours and VividSeats. The following is a summary of the eight sites:

Packers at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 26 (Sunday Night Football)

» Lowest SRO, range: N/A

» Average lowest seat: $97

» Range of lowest seat prices: $79-$116

Tampa Bay at Lambeau Field, noon, Dec. 3

» Lowest SRO: $80

» Average lowest seat: $76

» Range of lowest seat prices: $50-$102

Packers at Cleveland, noon, Dec. 10

» Lowest SRO, range: N/A

» Average lowest seat: $14

» Range of lowest seat prices:$11-$23

Packers at Carolina, noon, Dec. 17

» Lowest SRO, range: N/A

» Average lowest seat: $111

» Range of lowest seat prices: $89-$133