Buffalo Bills season tickets to increase by an average of 10% in 2024
The Buffalo Bills are setting records when it comes to season ticket sales. With that demand, of course, comes the inevitability of rising costs, and for the 2024 season, the average price of a season ticket will increase by 10%, the Bills shared in an exclusive interview with The Buffalo News...
The Buffalo Bills continue to set records when it comes to season tickets.
The team sold 63,767 season tickets for the 2023 season, an increase from 62,302 in 2022 and a new record for most in franchise history.
State officials said Friday they anticipate 60% of the 25,000 tons of structural steel that will be needed to complete the Buffalo Bills new stadium will be produced in the state. Almost all of it will be manufactured in the United States.
So, it is fair to say that interest in the team is at an all-time high.
“It’s really just amazing and a true testament of how great our fans are,” said Chris Colleary, the Bills’ vice president of ticket sales and service.
With that demand, of course, comes the inevitability of rising costs, and for the 2024 season, the average price of a season ticket will increase by 10%, the Bills shared in an exclusive interview with The Buffalo News on Wednesday. The increase comes in the form of an added game in 2024. The Bills will host 10 games at Highmark Stadium in 2024 – two in the preseason and eight in the regular season – which is up from the nine they hosted in 2023 (one preseason, eight regular season).
Structural steel is close to being ready to go up nine months into the construction of the $1.7 billion project in Orchard Park. The concrete that sets the stage to build the steel frame has been poured, allowing hundreds of workers to soon start on the skeleton of the stadium. That will take at least a year to complete, with the canopy for the stadium going on around this time next year.
Thus, the per-game price remains flat, in most cases, but the overall package price increases because of the added game. General admission packages range from $611 to $2,056 for the 10-game package, according to data provided to The News, with the average price coming in at $1,146. Club packages range from $2,150-$5,307, with the average price coming in at $3,180.
The season ticket base is expected to increase to 64,000 in 2024, Colleary said, which is the team’s self-imposed limit. The Bills had a strong 97% renewal rate on season tickets last year. The club has a waiting list for season tickets. Colleary did not share the exact number on the waiting list, but said it is “significantly” higher than it was last season, when it was at 6,000 people.
While the cost continues to go up, season tickets remain the most affordable way to see a game. According to the Bills, the average price for a single-game ticket was 77% more than the season ticket cost, and the average price on the secondary market was 88% more than the season ticket cost.
“Single-game pricing has been significantly higher because of demand, and there is not as many single-game tickets available because of the large season ticket number,” Colleary said.
The Bills have about 15,000 season ticket holders. In 2015, the team stopped selling season tickets to people out of state and started to put a limit of six on the number of season tickets fans could purchase. Those who purchased season tickets prior to 2015 were not limited to the number of seats that they could buy, but that will change when the team’s new stadium opens. At that point, all season ticket holders will be limited to six seats.
Patrick Freeman was appointed chair of the New Stadium Community Inclusion Task Force – one of the first of its kind to oversee the expanding of access and opportunities for disadvantaged small businesses that are interested in participating in the construction and operation of a new stadium.
That is one way the Bills will account for the reduction in seating capacity in their new stadium. Actual capacity at Highmark Stadium is 70,109, but standing room only, obstructed view and seats that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act increase the actual number in the stadium. Last year, the Bills averaged 70,615 fans at their nine home games (including the one preseason game). The new stadium’s capacity is expected to come in at just over 60,000, and with standing room only, could increase to about 63,000.
“We want to make sure every season ticket account has the opportunity to purchase tickets in the new stadium,” Colleary said.
Right now, the Bills estimate that the average number of seats that a season ticket holder owns is four. When the new stadium opens, and personal seat licenses are required, that average is expected to drop slightly.
Season ticket members have until March 15 to secure their seats. After the renewal deadline, the team will offer current season ticket members an opportunity to relocate to any seats that come available. After the relocation process, those on the waiting list will have the chance to purchase tickets, likely in late April.
Current season ticket holders will have first access to seats in the team’s new stadium.
Two more properties neighboring the new Buffalo Bills stadium are on sale for at least a million dollars and these have the potential for commercial development before the Town of Orchard Park makes any zoning changes in the area.
“One thing we want to communicate to season ticket members is we wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for their support,” Colleary said. “We want them to know they don’t have to do anything. They’ve secured their spot in line. Not only have they secured their spot in line, we’ve kind of mapped out where comparable seats are or better.”
The first step for season ticket members in the new stadium process is coming soon. Representatives for the new stadium will begin reaching out to current season ticket holders via email by the end of this month and will serve as the point of contact for questions throughout the process.
The Bills Stadium Experience Center is coming along at the Walker Center in Williamsville with some unique touches by the team for fans, but the invitation-only site still is not ready to be opened. The Bills had initially said it would open in the spring and then pushed that back to the end of the summer.
The Bills’ stadium experience, which will be located in the Walker Center in Williamsville, officially will open in March and will serve customers by appointment only. Club seat members will receive the first invitations to take an interactive look at the new stadium and give them seat options. From there, the remaining accounts will be invited based on their current season location and seniority.
Colleary cautioned that the process for all 15,000 season ticket holders to go through the stadium experience will be a long one.
“This could take a year just to get through all the season ticket accounts, if not more,” he said. “While club seat members will be starting in March, we don’t want a regular season ticket account to panic if it’s May or June and they haven’t heard yet when they can go down. ... We really want to preach patience. We know you’ve supported us many years, and you’re going to have an opportunity to come to the stadium experience. It’s just going to be in different ways. Don’t worry. You’ll have seat options that are comparable or better than where they are now.”
The Bills’ 2024 home schedule includes games against both Super Bowl teams – the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. In addition, Buffalo’s three AFC East opponents – the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins – will visit Orchard Park, as will the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. The two home preseason opponents have not yet been announced.