By RICK SOLEM
ricks@mwfbroadcasting.com
Earlier this week, the Green Bay Packers raised ticket prices for general seating by $3 a game.
Friday, the Minnesota Vikings announced their seat licensing fees for the new, nearly billion dollar stadium.
The average one-time, up-front fee – called a stadium builder’s license – will average $2,500, but most will run much lower. “Nosebleed” seats, for example, will come with a $500 license fee. Seats at the 50-yard-line, will run between $4,500-9,500. A quarter of the 65,000 seats will not require a license.
The seat fees will help alleviate the cost of the $975 million stadium. Or, should I say, will help the Vikings alleviate their share of the cost. The Vikings are on the hook for $477 million.
The seat fees are going to generate around $100 million. So, in turn, the fans will be on the hook for $100 million more on top of what Minnesota taxpayers are ponying up ($348 million) and what Minneapolis has to ante ($150 million).
Not every NFL stadium has seat license fees. The Vikings didn’t at the Metrodome.
Fans are, of course, not happy. Long-time season-ticket holders now have to pay a license fee they didn’t have to pay before. If they choose not to, however, that opens the door for new fans to get season tickets. There is a waiting list, but no word on how long that is. You can get on it here.
Though the stadium doesn’t open until July of 2016, fans can still get season tickets for next seasons at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank stadium and will then have priority for season tickets at the new stadium.
Comparably, Green Bay Packers season-ticket holders pay a license fee of $2,100 for “Green” packages and $900 for “Gold.” Green Bay’s tickets are split between Green Bay and Milwaukee season-ticket holders. Milwaukee, the Gold package, season tickets consist of one preseason and two regular-season games.
Ticket prices at Minnesota’s new stadium will cost between $35-139. Green Bay tickets cost $77-100 after the $3 hike.
Take a virtual tour of the Vikings new stadium here at no cost.