Patriots' playoff-ticket prices "have been falling steadily" since the franchise played in the '11 postseason, as Boston's recent string of pro sports team success "means that fans seeking to rationalize pricey tickets can no longer rely on the old 'it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance' line," according to Beth Teitell of the BOSTON GLOBE. Data from SeatGeek showed that the average seat for Saturday's Colts-Patriots playoff at Gillette Stadium was selling for $171 on Thursday, compared to $356 for Saints-Seahawks, $324 for Chargers-Broncos and $273 for 49ers-Panthers. Tickets for the Patriots-Jets AFC Divisional game in '11 went for an average of $302. StubHub Head of Communications Glenn Lehrman said, "A lot of people want to go to a sporting event as much for the memory as the ability to tell people 'I was there.' But once you’ve done it, there isn’t as big a need to do it again." Teitell notes the "comparatively low prices for Patriots playoff tickets stands in marked contrast to the team’s wild and enduring popularity," but when the choice is "between shelling out big money to sit in the forecasted rain or rooting couchside, even some of the team’s biggest fans go for comfort." In the past year alone, "a diehard sports fan could have indulged in postseason splurges for the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and the Patriots." Still, a Patriots spokesperson said that more than 90% of season-ticket holders "purchased their playoff tickets this year, 'slightly' more than in recent years" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/10).
