Interest in Packers-Bears remains high, but Detroit tickets will go cheap
Richard Ryman
GREEN BAY – Championship fever is taking hold in Chicago and no doubt Bears fans are hoping for some schadenfreude at the expense of the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers, 5-7-1, and Bears, 9-4, play at noon Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. Secondary market ticket prices are slightly less expensive than last week, but the Bears' victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday may drive them higher as the week goes on. On Monday morning, the lowest average get-in price was $234, compared with $249 last week.
Each team is coming off a victory. The Packers defeated Atlanta 34-20 at Lambeau Field to halt a three-game losing streak that resulted in the firing of head coach Mike McCarthy. The Bears defeated the Rams, who came into the game with an NFL-best 11-1 record, in a 15-6 defensive battle.
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The Bears last won the NFC North in 2010. The Packers won the division five of the seven years since. The Packers lead the all-time series 97-94-6 in, arguably, the NFL's most iconic rivalry, so there's a lot on the line Sunday, even if the Bears are a strong favorite.
The game is the second most in-demand game of the season in Chicago, after the Bears-New England game, said Chris Leyden of ticket broker SeatGeek. The average resale price of all tickets is $306, compared to $445 for the Patriots game in October.
Sunday's game is the most expensive Packers-Bears game in three years, but comes in less than 2014 at $478 overall average price and 2015 at $377.
The game against the New York Jets on Dec. 23 is down slightly from last week as well, ringing in at $71 lowest average get-in price. Coming the day before Christmas Eve, it's likely that traveling Packers fans made their decision to go to New York months ago, but ticket prices are attractive, as is New York at Christmastime.
Of course, a last-minute decision to travel to New York at that time of year will be more dependent on air travel cost and availability than game tickets.
The lowest average get-in price for the Lions game has not yet reached Browns levels from last year, when tickets were selling in the teens for the Packers visit to Cleveland in early December, but there's still time. If the Packers lose to Chicago and the Jets in New York, a meaningless season-ending game at Lambeau Field could hit rock bottom.
For our weekly look at Packers tickets prices, we surveyed eight secondary-market websites, including Event USA, NFL Ticket Exchange, StubHub, TickPick, Ticket King, Titletown Tickets and Tours, SeatGeek and VividSeats. Note that ticket brokers can add fees on top of prices listed here, so actual costs might be higher.
Dec. 16, noon, Chicago Bears, Soldier Field, Fox
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): N/A
- Average lowest seat: $234
- Range of lowest seat: $194-$319
Dec. 23, noon, New York Jets, MetLife Stadium, Fox
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): N/A
- Average lowest seat: $71
- Range of lowest seat: $58-$94
Dec. 30, noon, Detroit Lions, Lambeau Field, Fox
- Face-price range (not including premium seating): $109-$136
- Average lowest seat: $59
- Range of lowest seat: $40-$75