The 10 Biggest Stories On 2016 NFL Ticket Market

With Week One of the 2016 NFL season in the books, a few story lines have emerged. As always, several have centered around the quarterback position, where both Alex Smith and Carson Wentz raised hopes for a stronger-than-expected 2016. Despite the loss, Dak Prescott also showed that he can put the Cowboys in a position to win. While the preliminary results are not enough for anyone to throw in the towel on '16, according to TicketIQ, prices are already moving.

The biggest price movement may be for Tom Brady's first game back under center this October. After Jimmy Garoppolo showed that he might be a worthy successor to the Brady, prices for Brady's return dropped from an average of $840 to $760. The Patriots V. Bengals game has already been slotted as the most expensive game of the season, but with this recent drop and Garoppolo's potential, it will likely come down even further before Week Five.

A Little History

TicketIQ has been tracking NFL tickets for over six years, and over that time, its data has been used not only by media outlets, but also to help teams and sellers analyze the market to sell more tickets.

The 2016 NFL Ticket Report is the first state-of-the-industry report, covering everything from which teams have the most expensive average listing price to how the Broncos' Super Bowl price increase compares to the last five winners. The report is also the first under "TicketIQ," after five years as TiqIQ.

With the launch of TicketIQ, data is also available directly to fans via app and website, at game and zone level. TicketIQ also claims to have the biggest selection of inventory from the secondary market, including access directly from fans via the NFL Ticket Exchange. The company also counts over 50 current and former team clients who have tapped into its database of over 100,000 active events to analyze their own ticket markets.

Below is the TicketIQ top 10 for the 2016 NFL Ticket Season.

Top 5

1. Vikings Have The Highest New Stadium Premium.

While the 49ers move into Levi's Stadium was the only competition, the Rams future move into their megaplex will likely dwarf either of the two previous openings have tracked. The average price for the Vikings inaugural season at U.S. Bank Field is 103 percent higher than last season, with the first game being most expensive at an average list price of $568.

2. Rams Have Second Biggest Price Increase Compared To Last Season.

Despite being in a stadium built almost 100 years ago at a cost of $954,872.98, according to Wikipedia, the Rams new complex will likely compete with AT&Ts 2009 price tag of $1.3 billion for the title of most expensive venue on earth. That would cover 1,000 times the cost of the original coliseum the Rams will play in for now. For 2016, the excitement for football in LA has driven the second biggest increase in average prices compared to last season's prices in St. Louis.

3. How Much Is Tom Brady Worth For Ticket Prices?

Prices are 24 percent more expensive for games with Brady under center compared to those when Garoppolo is doing the work. There are three of those slated for now, and while it's still being discussed as a "crazy" idea, if Garoppolo continues to win, is it out of the question that Brady's return could be delayed? Just the possibility of that happening for the October 16 game against the Bengals means that prices could come down even further.

4. Overall League Ticket Average Price Up 12%.

This is the highest annual increase TicketIQ has tracked in its six years. Rather than just a function on demand, though, the increase has as much to do with supply, which there is less of than ever on the secondary market. More than ever before, teams are holding back inventory, which potentially helps them in two ways: In a low-demand market they can keep prices from falling to zero, and in a situation where the team out-performs, they can capture more of the upside, especially if there are one of the 10+ teams using dynamic pricing this season. The Raiders price increase may be the result of speculation that this could be (one of) their last in Oakland. Las Vegas could be the only city with a realistic shot of outspending the Rams in Los Angeles.

5. Cowboys Edge Packers As Most Expensive Road Average.

If there's still a debate on who is America's team, the 2016 NFL Ticket Report puts it to rest. For 2016, the Cowboys and Packers draw the most demand on the road, with the Cowboys retaining the title of America's Team based on the most expensive road average for 2016, at an average price of $358. The most expensive game away from AT&T is at Levi's Field against long-standing rivals the 49ers. With an average price of over $500, it's $300 more expensive than the cheapest road game against Cleveland.

The Second 5

6. Where To See The Broncos For Cheap.

The cheapest way to see the Super Bowl Champion Broncos play is in San Diego. Using data from Priceline, the full cost of a trip from Denver, hotel and game ticket is $242. That compared to the cheapest Broncos home game, which has a $360 average.

7. Which Game Will Cost You The Most?

The most expensive game this season is Bengals at Patriots with an average price of $740. It's also Brady's first game back.

8. Giants Over Jets.

Giants' average price is over 30 percent higher than the Jets' average price.

9. Biggest Drop In Average Ticket Prices.

San Diego Chargers average ticket prices are down the most in the league at -26 percent.

10. 20% Increase For Falcons' Average Ticket Price.

The average price of Falcons' last season in the Georgia Dome is up 20 percent.

Download the full TicketIQ NFL Ticket Reporthere.

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