![Revisiting the Broncos ticket dilemma 1 year later [Spoiler: it’s worse]](https://www.balderromey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_0183-1-768x350.jpg "Revisiting the Broncos ticket dilemma 1 year later [Spoiler: it’s worse]")
This is an open letter to my family and friends who buy Broncos tickets from me.
TLDR: Ticket prices went up substantially from last year.
Last year, I wrote My Broncos Ticket Dilemma, detailing the latest price hike the Broncos imposed on season ticket holders and the effect it would have on people who attend Broncos games. One year later, the pricing has worsened.
Perhaps this is the price we pay for a successful season, as relevance is costly; maybe it’s ownership trying to squeeze fans by slicing the stadium into dozens of price points, drastically increasing prices for their new slices. It’s likely a little of both; this context will hopefully help people deal with the sticker shock I experienced last month.
I’ve updated my “transparency chart” detailing what I’ve paid for these tickets since 2021.
| Year | Single Game Face Value* | Total Season Invoice Cost | Adjusted Sale Price** | Y/Y % Increase | Since 2021 % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $104 | $4160 | $110 | – | – |
| 2022 | $116 | $4640 | $130 | 11.54% | 11.54% |
| 2023 | $136 | $5440 | $144 | 17.24% | 30.77% |
| 2024 | $151 | $6040 | $169 | 11.03% | 45.19% |
| 2025 | $178 | $7120 | $188 | 17.88% | 71.15% |
* Years ago, the Broncos introduced dynamic pricing to mask the full-price costs they charged for preseason tickets. Now, they arbitrarily set ticket prices depending on the opponent and whether the game is in prime time. However, I’ve always maintained the same formula of dividing the invoice price by 4 (the number of seats) and 10 (the total number of games).
** My adjusted sales price has always been selling the preseason games by half, then spreading the other half between the other 8-9 games. For the 2025 season, the Broncos should have one preseason game and nine regular-season games (as I publish this, the 2025 schedule has yet to be released). I have never made a profit on any of my tickets, and in fact, I end up eating some or all costs on the preseason tickets.
Why the drastic year-over-year increase? When we moved down in 2021, the South Stands price was the same. Despite shifting one section lower, this was a horizontal move, price-wise. The Broncos then started slicing up the sections into more colors, first separating the 100 and 200 sections into two different price levels, ending with this year, where they introduced a “lower first level” section, shifting our 18th-row seats into that price. The 2025 map has every spectrum of the rainbow.
Once again, I’m forced to ask my family and friends whether you will accept a substantial increase to sit in section 133 for 2025. In full disclosure, I’ve already renewed the tickets, and after looking at the seat upgrades, I don’t foresee moving to a cheaper section this year, leaving two options on the table:
- Maintain the same ticket-pricing formula. ($1,780 / 10 games ($178) + 1/2 of the preseason game ($89) over nine tickets ($9.88) ). This is the same formula I have used for nearly 20 years of having season tickets.
- Sell each game at the Broncos-designated face value, with variable pricing per game. I’ve always been reluctant to pursue this approach, as it feels like the team artificially and arbitrarily sets the price based on early-season predictions. A terrible example of this was last year’s Chiefs game, where, despite being the most expensive game, it provided the least value, as the Chiefs rested virtually all of their starters.
One last thing: if you’ve been paying attention to the news reports, it’s apparent that Broncos ownership is serious about building a new stadium. A likely source of financing for the new stadium will be the requirement of a Personal Seat License (PSL), which requires season ticket holders to pay upwards of thousands of dollars for the privilege of owning season tickets. I’m adamantly opposed to this model, and given my finances, I will not be able to justify spending a “new car” amount of money for a piece of paper. As I see it, we probably have 4-5 years left of ticket ownership.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I’d be anxious to hear your thoughts on whether you’ll be interested in continuing to attend games with me or going in my place. As the years go by, I’m reminded how blessed I am to be able to experience these games with you and cherish each opportunity to do so. Please feel free to comment below, or email me at jeromey [at] balderrama dot org, especially if you’re interested in being included in my “Broncos friends” list.
In orange and blue,
-Jeromey
