The Buffalo Bills snapped their embarrassing 17-year playoff drought during 2017, posting a 9-7 record and qualifying as the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs in Sean McDermott’s first season as head coach. While Bills fans were thrilled to be back in the playoffs, the team’s success on the field in 2017 means fans will have to pay more to watch their team in 2018.
In an email sent Tuesday, the Bills announced that season ticketholders will, on average, pay about 3 percent more for their tickets in 2018, depending on their seat location.
The increase comes after the Bills did not raise season ticket prices for the 2017 season.
“The decision to raise prices is not one that we take lightly, but we know that Bills season tickets continue to be one of the best values in the NFL and offer a discount off the individual game ticket prices,” Russ Brandon, Bills President, told season ticketholders in the letter.
How much a season ticket increases depends on the season ticket location. For example, my season tickets in Section 123 are increasing from $590 per ticket to $610, a spike of 3.4 percent from last year.
The Bills do remain among the best bargains for NFL fans, with season ticket prices ranging from $330 in the upper deck levels near the end zones, to $1,080 for 100-level seats between the 30-yard lines.
Buffalo’s average season ticket price of $68.18 ranks in the top five of the NFL for most affordable season tickets.
In the letter, Brandon lauded the efforts of McDermott and first-year general manager Brandon Beane, and hinted that the team and its fans should be excited about the future of football in Western New York.
“What a year for the entire Buffalo Bills organization and the team’s incredible fans!,” Brandon said. “Since welcoming head coach Sean McDermott last year, we have seen his Playoff Caliber mindset come to fruition, culminating with a trip to the Wild Card Playoff game in January. Through the hard work and dedication of our coaches, team and staff, and through the continued support from our loyal season ticket members like you, the organization took one step closer to our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Buffalo. In 2018, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of that goal and hope you will continue to join us at New Era Field to witness the excitement. We are continually working to make your game day experience even more enjoyable and will be making improvements throughout the stadium, including the renovation of our Club areas.”