The NFL will have around 22,000 fans attend Super Bowl LV in Tampa, including 14,500 ticket buyers and about 7,500 vaccinated health care workers who will be "invited as guests of the league," according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. Officials said that the league developed its plan by "combining its regular season approach in those stadiums with fans -- utilizing a seating capacity of just above 20 percent for non-vaccinated fans -- with its effort to honor front-line health care workers and promote coronavirus vaccination efforts nationwide." Raymond James Stadium has a capacity of around 65,000 and is expandable to more than 70,000. Fans are to be "spaced in socially distanced seating pods," and everyone on hand "will be required to wear masks." All tickets for the game "will be on mobile devices, a Super Bowl first." The NFL is "providing free tickets to the vaccinated health care workers who will attend the game." At an average price of about $2,500, that represents close to $18.75M. Most of the invited health care workers "will come from the Tampa area." Additionally, each team other than the Buccaneers "will invite four vaccinated health care workers from its market and pay for airfare and hotel costs" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/22).
Raymond James Stadium has a full capacity of around 65,000 and is expandable to more than 70,000GETTY IMAGES
SOLID COMPROMISE: THE ATHLETIC's Greg Auman notes this is a "careful compromise," as the 22,000 figure is "still a fraction of the sellout crowds associated with football's biggest game." However, it will be "more than college football's national championship game, which had an attendance of about 15,000 in Miami Gardens earlier this month, and it's above the ... Buccaneers' largest home attendance of 16,031." The Buccaneers "gradually raised their limited attendance at home games this season and the Super Bowl will continue that trend" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/22).
