A new analysis of teams’ ticket revenue during the 2021 NFL season shows that bigger isn’t always better. Allegiant Stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders’ home in Sin City, brought in the most ticket money over the course of the season, despite being the third-smallest venue in the NFL, according to Sportico.
Excluding earnings from luxury suites, the Raiders made $119 million in net gate revenue. The San Francisco 49ers came in second with $117 million, and the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants rounded out the top five, according to the new data.
In its overview of Sportico’s report, the Numlock News newsletter noted that stadium size isn’t the only factor with a surprising relationship to ticket sales; on-field performance also didn’t seem to matter much, at least for some teams.
“In New Jersey, the Giants made $110 million in revenue while the Jets made $82 million,” although both teams had the same record of 4-13, Numlock News reported.
The venue that topped the list, Allegiant Stadium, opened in 2020 and is located just off the Las Vegas Strip. It is “fully enclosed and climate-controlled” and seats around 65,000 people, according to the stadium’s website.
While the Raiders began using the venue that same year, fans were not allowed in until 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. Attendance numbers exceeded expectations last fall, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Raiders games were a hot ticket with an average of 61,185 paid attendance during the regular season,” the article said.
An analysis of NFL ticket prices released last December showed that the Raiders have the highest average ticket price in the league.
“The Raiders in their new Las Vegas home top the list for average ticket price at $153.47, followed by the San Francisco 49ers at $139.71. The lowest average ticket price comes from the Buffalo Bills, at $74.95, with the L.A. Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals also coming in below $80,” The Street reported.