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 That is the question thousands of American football fans have been
wrestling with the last few weeks. Do you take a once-in-a-lifetime
plunge and spend perhaps tens of thousands of dollars to get
yourself to Glendale, Arizona, to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on
the New England Patriots?
Or do you kibosh such a massive expense, and earmark that sum for
more sober purposes, like saving for retirement, paying down debt or
getting ready for April's tax bill?
Ron Yeh, who was keen to see his beloved Seahawks win a second
straight title, decided go this year after weighing the pros and
cons.
The 40-year-old gastroenterologist from the Seattle area and a
friend found a package from warehouse club Costco Wholesale Corp
that included tickets, lodging, shuttles and tailgate parties -
$8,000 for two.
"I've been following the Seahawks ever since the fourth grade, when
my family moved here from Taiwan," Yeh says. "But this is my first
time going to the Super Bowl. It's going to be exciting."
Obviously, a Super Bowl memory does not come cheap. The average
resold ticket has been going for $3,046, according to data provided
last week by StubHub.com. That is up from $2,527 last year, when the
game took place in New Jersey's MetLife stadium.
Ticket sales on StubHub.com have ranged from $937 to $11,500. Those
prices do not include ancillary costs - flights, hotels, food and
drink, and memorabilia.
Besides his $4,000 package, for instance, Ron Yeh spent another $950
on a round-trip flight from Seattle.
Arizona's tourism authority is betting that Super Bowl attendees
will spend roughly double that of a normal conventioneer, upwards of
$600 a day during their stay. Last year attendees spent an average
of $141.75 each on food, drink and merchandise just at the game
itself, according to SportsBusiness Journal.
At the top end, the cost can be staggering. Take a look at this
package recently offered by private jet charter company Magellan
Jets: prime tickets, round-trip flight, access to celebrity parties
on Super Bowl weekend, and more. The eye-popping tab: $35,000 for
two.
"It's clearly not an event for a regular middle-class family," says
Victor Matheson, a professor and sports economist at College of the
Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
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But the Super Bowl is a rare and special event, and missing out can
haunt people. Take financial planner H. Jude Boudreaux, who was
ready to see his New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts
back in 2010, but sold his tickets to a friend at the last minute.
"I do regret it every year when this time of year rolls around," he
says.
Of course, the cost does not have to be exorbitant. Scout for
tickets in the nosebleed section, rather than on the 50-yard line.
Bunk with friends in the area instead of paying insane hotel
markups. Take redeye flights with connections.
Also, do not expect too much. You can forget about seeing every
replay from 10 different angles, to be debated by panel of ex-pros
in a luxury booth.
Instead you're going to be outside, probably a long way from the
action, without your trusty flatscreen and no fridge full of snacks.
That is what financial adviser Keith Singer of Boca Raton, Florida,
found when he saw the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl 10 years
ago.
"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."
But even folks watching at home are preparing to fork out for the
big day. The National Retail Federation's Super Bowl Spending survey
estimates that 184 million viewers will be spending a combined $14.3
billion - an average of $77.88 - on food, gameday gear, decorations
and TVs.
(Follow us @ReutersMoney or at http://www.reuters.com/finance/personal-finance
Editing by Beth Pinsker and Lisa Von Ahn)
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