How much does a trip to the Super Bowl cost?

Jan 28, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; General view of Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots helmets and Super XLIX logo football at Papago Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; General view of Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots helmets and Super XLIX logo football at Papago Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Is it Sensible to Shell out for the Super Bowl?

If championship sporting events were people, the Super Bowl would be actor Jack Nicholson; bloated, over hyped and loved by nearly everyone. However, huge fan or not, is it worth the expense to attend the game in person? Can the cost of spending thousands of dollars for eleven actual minutes of football be justified?

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That, of course, depends on who you ask, what they make and their financial responsibilities.

"“It’s clearly not an event for a regular middle-class family,” says Victor Matheson, a professor and sports economist at College of the HolyCross in Worcester, Massachusetts."

Per ESPN, as of 6:20 p.m. ET Thursday, there were only 20 tickets on StubHub that cost less than $10,000 to see the New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. The cheapest ticket was selling for $9,205. Tack on airfare, hotel, transportation, meals and other entertainment expenses, and you could be looking at enough dough to send your kid to a semester of college.

Is it worth it?

Even having a ticket to the game doesn’t mean your experience will be second to none.

"“It was really hard to see the game from where I was, and I missed all the pregame shows because I was at the stadium,” he says. “I probably wouldn’t go to another Super Bowl again. There’s no better view than in front of your giant TV, with all the refreshments and food you could want right at your fingertips.” – Keith Singer of Boca Raton, Florida, found when he saw the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl 10 years ago."

Millions of Sunday coach surfers agree with Mr. Singer. Those watching the game at home and at parties are more than happy to dish out an average of $77.48 for food, gear and TVs per The National Retail Federation’s Super Bowl Spending survey. In the end it is estimated that 184 million viewers will be spend a combined $14.3 billion watching the game.

H/T Chris Taylor/Reuters