Super Bowl: Patriots Fans Slow To Buy Tickets

Where are the New England Patriots fans? Instead of gobbling up seats Monday for the Super Bowl, they were virtual-no shows on the ticket market.

The Patriots will play the New York Giants on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis for the most coveted title in American sports. But followers of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Co. were acting as if the team was slated for an exhibition game in August.

Just 7 percent of Super Bowl ticket purchases on the prominent selling exchange StubHub came from Massachusetts residents, the site told The Huffington Post. Monday was the first day of sales after the Super Bowl participants were decided Sunday in the AFC and NFC title games. The median sale was $2,800 a ticket.

Maybe it's the economy. Maybe Massachusetts residents don't relish the idea of visiting Indianapolis in the dead of winter -- or at any time of year. Or perhaps there's a bigger reason: "It's a little old hat for Patriots fans," StubHub spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer said.

The Patriots have appeared in four Super Bowls since 2002, winning three. The Giants are no stranger to the big game either, having appeared twice since 2001 and winning once against the heavily favored Patriots in 2008.

The rematch angle isn't catching fire yet in a large part of New England. Less than 2.5 percent of the tickets sold came from residents in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. (Connecticut has loyalists on both sides.) New Yorkers, meanwhile, grabbed 13 percent of the tickets. New Jersey residents, where the Giants actually play, bought 8 percent. It's early, but the results seem surprising for a Patriots team that is known for its rabid following.

The Patriots, at least among private resellers and scalpers, were lagging behind before the Super Bowl. Sales for the team's AFC Championship game victory over the Baltimore Ravens trailed far behind the Giants-49ers NFC clash, StubHub said. It's not as if the economy has completely tanked in Massachusetts. Unemployment is 6.8 percent, comfortably below the national average of 8.5 percent.

Combining all territories, secondary-market sales are already approaching pre-recession rates, according to StubHub. The median price was $2,800 a ticket, compared to $2,900 for last year's Packers-Steelers game. Prices bottomed out at a median of $2,000 for the 2009 and 2010 Super Bowls. They reached a median-high of $3,500 in the 2007 Super Bowl between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

Another resale site, the NFL Ticket Exchange, reported that its average ticket purchase for this Super Bowl has been a healthy $4,183, with a high of $11,883.

If the latter came from a Patriots fan, then a New England comeback on the ticket market might not be far behind.

Comments

[Dr Confuso]

06:17 PM on 01/26/2012

New England fans are fatalistic manic depressives who, even if the Pate do win, will be calling their enabling radio stations, whining about why Tom didn't pass on 3rd down. If they lose, that along with the grey dismal weather and the price of home heating oil, will cause the 6 governors to ask for FEMA money and will all citizens on suicide watch. Strange place.

[liebs94]

04:46 PM on 01/26/2012

Boston is a great Sports town, but truth be told, the Patsies were always the fourth team in beantown.

Sawx will always be ‘The Team” even if they didn’t get their 2 rings a few years back. Celts are the equivalent of the Yanks and Packers, as the NBA’s Dynasty Team (Sorry Laker fans, but LA is not nearly the town Boston is when it comes to sports fans). Even The Bruins (reigning Stanley Cup Champs) have a more fanatic base, as the Boston area, especially at the collegiate level is a USA Hockey Hotbed.

And let’s face it, while winning titles , should be enough, the two faces of the franchise Brady and Belichick don’t really endear themselves to the area , outside of the diehards.

[Dr Confuso]

06:19 PM on 01/26/2012

Blasphemy! The only ones who don't 'get' Bill are the reporters who continually ask him questions they know he won't answer...and NOBODY doesn't love Tommy... look it up.

[liebs94]

08:02 PM on 01/26/2012

Aha!, You're rolling the dice and thinking , "He doesn't actually read the Boston Globe sports section, comments area, does he"?

In any event, kudos for sticking up for your team, but I do stand by my analysis.

[tlcalheta]

02:29 PM on 01/27/2012

I have to disagree. I am a Mass transplant and Patriots are either 2 or 3 behind the Soxs, depending on the fan you ask. I know many Bruins fans, but not nearly as many die-hard Pat fans.

[Greatest Darthfruit]

01:44 AM on 01/26/2012

paying more than $1000 dlls for a seat in the far side is not worth it; Instead, I have my DTV, my large screen HD TV, my grill and a cooler full of Samuel Addams Pale Ales, it does not get any better!!

[bobinson]

07:30 PM on 01/25/2012

Attending a Super Bowl is actually quite boring. Half of the tickets (the good seats) go to the advertisers and marketing agencies and their friends who have no particular dog in the fight. The crowds are really pretty tame. It's not like a college bowl game where the crowd is half and half. Super Bowl crowds are more 20%, 20% and the other 60% is wondering where to get garlic fries.

[Chi Epsilon]

11:41 PM on 01/25/2012

You obviously have never been to one. I was at the last SB that NE won in 2005 in Florida and it was one of the best times of my life. I would have sat on a light tower eating 2-year old fries and would have had fun. Of course, it does help if you go with someone who drinks, is 300 pounds, and hates Eagles fans.

[Veluriel]

05:44 PM on 01/25/2012

I'm sorry, but a median price of $2,800? Yeah, good economy or not, who the hell wants to pay that kind of price?

I'm not a football fan (though I am a baseball fan) and I can't believe that people are buying tickets at these kinds of prices. I really don't think that they should find it all that shocking. The economy is not good. Add to that the fact that those that do have tickets also have to get themselves to Indiana, and likely have to pay for a hotel too. If you only go with a partner, you're already at $5,600 plus food, shelter, gas, etc. Ridiculous.

[TheBestPatriot]

05:24 PM on 01/25/2012

I love that photo of Brady and Mayo embracing.

Man I love my team. I wanted to purchase Super Bowl tickets, but the packages are too expensive. I only have 5 grand and that's not enough.

[Ed Gibson]

03:58 PM on 01/25/2012

Guess their fans know something, oh ya, they are not going to win against the Giants defence, no way.

[TheBestPatriot]

05:23 PM on 01/25/2012

I know you can't spell defense.

[huffyISaHottie]

07:40 PM on 01/25/2012

They get confused by the big D and the section of picket fence.

[Jackandcoke]

03:27 PM on 01/25/2012

It's the weather.

[Lariatsam]

02:49 PM on 01/25/2012

Funny thing happend on the way to Superbowl XLVI..the Patriots are actually going to this event despite the thousands of critics and sports analysts who critique the playoff games in favor of every team that faces N.E. I say to them, don't look back. Never look back. Different cities, different players, anything goes. The Ravens said it best after their terrible loss, "keep looking forward."

[Jackandcoke]

03:25 PM on 01/25/2012

I don't agree with the every team that faces.... NE is 7pt favorites.

[dvglass3]

06:05 PM on 01/25/2012

Wait....are you talking about the same Pats team that have been the favorite from the AFC throughout the playoffs?

[blueken60]

02:32 PM on 01/25/2012

I love my Pats, I also love my couch and my bathroom, and above all, I love my money. I wouldn't pay $1k to see God. That being said, I think there are people who have a grand in their pocket change that just might not believe the Pats have a chance. All year long we have not had much of a pass rush, we can't stretch the field and stoping the run started with the last Raven's game. Of course everyone had us written off when we beat the Rams.

[splinky]

12:19 PM on 01/25/2012

Nobody in Boston that I've talked to is confident the Patriots will win, so maybe people are hesitant to go and watch them get beaten (it would be one thing if the team hadn't been before, or in a long time, but we're still having flashbacks from the last time).

People around here seem mystified that NE is the favorite, and I think there will be many people here who will be surprised if the Pats can pull this one off (I'm one of the potentially surprised). NYG beat the Packers, who have an offense as good or better than the Patriots' offense, they held their own against the Niners defense, which is better than the Patriots' defense, their QB and WRs are better than they were last time, and the Patriots' defense is not as good as it was last time.

I'm not alone among Patriots fans in my attitude of bracing myself for the worst and trying to say "we have a chance" and "any given Sunday" over and over, hoping to start believing it.

[FDRliberal]

04:45 AM on 01/26/2012

I'm Giants fan and Im surprised Pats are favored too. I thought maybe Giants by 2 or something very close....but I like being the underdog...don't want my guys to get too cocky. Anyway I think it will be a great game.

[pcmaineman]

09:27 AM on 01/25/2012

BTW, No sunshine, No Ocean, Madonna ( who cares...washed up and Boring ).
This is a test for the NFL to see if a closed stadium will fill up in any city?
Only with free airfare, extra free baggage, and a free suite!
Stupid venue, and No one really cares about the entertainment anyway.

[pcmaineman]

09:17 AM on 01/25/2012

Could you possibly write an article proposing several things worth doing in Indy before and after the Game? Snow Shoeing?, Ice Fishing?, or even Sauna/Suntan parlors?
A 40-60" TV screen with Instant replay looks awfully good right now!
Indy...Jeez!

[Roger Funk]

06:14 AM on 01/25/2012

If it was my team I would watch it on tv but its not.

[Roger Funk]

06:13 AM on 01/25/2012

Well it not that I wouldn't want go. But you answered your own question at the end. 4-11k is to much for me. I can't afford the super bowl besides my team is out.