Revealed: The cost of being a fan
Following a football team across the entire NFL season can be a costly affair, but which fans fork out the most overall?
We’ve considered an array of common matchday expenses to bring you the fanbase which spends the most each season, as well as comparing each side’s respective cost with total 2020 touchdowns to reveal the best value team to follow.
Which fans lay out the greatest expense?
Combining the cost of tickets, refreshments, and team colors (also taking the average away day accommodation cost of $963.92 into account), we can bring you the fans with the hardest hit pockets over an entire season, as well as analyzing all 32 clubs for each independent factor.
Which supporters spend the most each season?
Analyzing all factors, we can reveal that Las Vegas Raiders fans fork out the most annually for the supporter experience, spending $3,450.26 per season to follow their side. Not far behind, the second most expensive team to follow is the 49ers, whose fans lay out $3,327.47 each year to show their support. Four more sides cost over $3,200 to follow, with the Philadelphia Eagles ($3,264.22), Chicago Bears ($3,218.18), Green Bay Packers ($3,214.74), and the Washington Football Team ($3,202.70) the 3rd-6th costliest teams to support, respectively.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the cost table, the Cincinnati Bengals are the cheapest NFL side to support, costing just $2,762.54 to follow home and away each season, which comes in at almost $700 cheaper than supporting the Raiders. The Buffalo Bills ($2,771.40), Cleveland Browns ($2,784.03), and Arizona Cardinals ($2,789.64) each also cost below $2,800 to support seasonally, while the Jacksonville Jaguars sit fifth lowest in the price index with a yearly rate of $2,811.61.
Who pays the most for tickets?
Unsurprisingly, considering their overall positioning in our fan-cost index, the Raiders ($2,013.61), 49ers ($1,936.09), and Eagles ($1,910.97) are the three most expensive teams to buy tickets for if you attend each game. Interestingly, despite featuring within the five most expensive teams to follow, the Bears ($1,818.83) drop to 7th when the focus is solely on ticket cost.
Turning the table, the Bills improve on their second-cheapest overall position, boasting the least expensive tickets per game at just $74.95 and a season cost of $1,370.43 if you follow home and away. The Jaguars ($1,471.39), Dolphins ($1,495.14), Browns ($1,508.88), and Bengals ($1,509.96) also feature among the cheapest sides to follow if you’re just buying tickets.
Which team charges fans the most for food and drink?
Food and drink are part and parcel of the in-game experience, but which sides are made to pay the highest prices? With permission from cheapism.com, we’ve detailed the cheapest and most expensive teams for game day refreshments.
- The cost of a midgame bite to eat
Enjoying a hotdog on matchday is an American tradition, but it’s Raiders, Rams, and Chargers fans who pay the most for the privilege, at $7.50 a game and $120 seasonally. Contrastingly, Falcons ($32), Panthers ($40), and Ravens ($48) fans each shell out less than fifty bucks a season on food.
- The NFL’s dearest drinks
Again, it’s Raiders ($208), Rams ($200), and Chargers ($200) fans who draw the short straw when it comes to buying a beer at the game, with each set of supporters required to fork out between $12.50-13 for a drink each game.
Despite having some of the cheapest food, Panthers fans pay $160 across the season to enjoy a beer at every game, or $10 for each drink, which is double that of the NFL’s cheapest bars found at the Falcons, Ravens, Bengals, and Lions (all $5 a beer, or $80 annually).
The supporters spending the most on club colors
NFL fans love to shout about which team they support, and what better way to do so than by wearing club colors? To rank each side, we’ve uncovered the cost of buying a jersey and cap for each club.
- Buying a jersey
Unfortunately for Steelers supporters, a jersey from the club shop costs $151.07, a price many fans pay each season to follow their team. Dolphins ($144.24), Ravens ($142.99), and Giants ($1414.87) followers are also faced with heavy price tags, each forced to pay between $140-145 per top.
This rate seems especially steep when compared to that of the Washington Football Team, whose fans pay just over $72.84 for a shirt, while Chargers ($81.99) and Bengals ($88.22) supporters are also treated to a price tag below $90.
- The cost of a cap
The Washington Football Team might sell the cheapest replica tops, but, at $33.13 a cap, they’re less than a dollar short of offering the most expensive headwear in the NFL, a crown unfortunately claimed by the Bills ($34.06). Meanwhile, Ravens fans are required to spend the least on the latest cap each season, at just $20.90 per piece, while Chargers followers pay just $21.23 per hat.
The supporters that are afforded the best value for money
We’ve explored which NFL fans spend the most supporting their side, but which set of followers are granted the best value for money?
Comparing the total paid with the respective number of touchdowns witnessed during the 2020 season, it’s Buffalo Bills fans whose money goes the furthest, paying just $46.19 per score. Tennessee Titans ($47.51) and Green Bay Packers ($48.71) fans are also treated to great value football, each also paying out less than $50 per touchdown.
On the other hand, New York sides offer the very worst value in the NFL; the Jets ($113.18) and Giants ($117.03) take the bottom two spots, witnessing just 26 and 27 touchdowns for their $2,942 and $3,159 spend, respectively.
Following a team through thick and thin can be expensive, but experiencing the highs of victory always makes it worthwhile. For all the latest news, expert insight, and interesting analysis, discover all the latest in the world of NFL.
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