Super Bowl XLVIII tickets are "available at significantly inflated prices" on websites such as eBay, StubHub and TiqIq, according to Jim Baumbach of NEWSDAY. StubHub Head of Communications Glenn Lehrman said that ticket prices during the weeks leading up to the game were "trending" about 20% higher than recent Super Bowls, attributing the prices to "the hype surrounding the game being played" in the N.Y. area. Baumbach noted the "going rate" this year for $500 face-value upper-deck tickets is "between $2,000 and $3,000." Also, "don't expect any discounts" on the NFL Ticket Exchange, as the cheapest ticket prices have "been at least $2,500" (NEWSDAY, 1/20). In Seattle, Bob Condotta cites SeatGeek data as showing that this year's game is "shaping up to be the most expensive Super Bowl in recent memory." As of last night, the game's median ticket price of $3,298 and average price of $3,721 both were "tops in price when compared to median and average prices for the past three Super Bowls." There were more than 12,000 tickets listed on secondary markets, representing "roughly 15% of the capacity at MetLife Stadium" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 1/20). In New Jersey, John Brennan TiqIq data showed that last night's average list price was $4,063.62, "up 18.89% since Jan 6th ($3,448.79)," and that the average sales price was $3,632.15. The most expensive seat was "in the Lower Club 113 for $29,000," while the most expensive suite listed was "at $1,019,000+ with the cheapest available for $575,000+ (both 30 ticket suites)" (NORTHJERSEY.com, 1/19).
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? In Newark, Alexi Friedman reported Verizon Wireless and AT&T spent "more than a year upgrading their networks" inside MetLife Stadium. The two competitors "have their own networks inside MetLife, with AT&T also allowing other carriers like T-Mobile and Sprint access to the system." Verizon officials said that they "got a preview of the expected Super Bowl data demand" during the Sept. 15 Broncos-Giants game at MetLife Stadium. The company said that twice as many people that day "connected to its 4G LTE broadband internet connection than had done so at last year's Super Bowl in New Orleans," and there were "no glitches." Verizon Exec Dir for the N.Y. Metro Region Michele White said that the company has since "quadrupled its 4G capacity" at the stadium. The carrier "now has more than 550 antennas hidden in boxes that are scattered throughout the facility." AT&T spokesperson Ellen Weber said that the company has installed "more than 200 antennas hidden throughout MetLife" and is running "more than six miles of cable through the facility." Neither AT&T nor Verizon "would disclose how much it spent on the MetLife additions" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/19).
JERSEY, SURE: In Newark, Ted Sherman wrote the effort to bring the game to New Jersey has "been a long march up the field already, marked by quiet, behind-the-scenes lobbying and phone calls, getting the enthusiastic support of the state's governor, and raising millions from sponsors for what will be the most expensive Super Bowl in history." Sherman cited a 127-page document containing specifications for this year's Super Bowl as mandating that tens of millions of dollars in expenses and outlining "everything from the minimum size of the stadium to power and lighting needs" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/19).
