Lions' success leads to skyrocketing season ticket prices for 2024 season

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Many Lions season ticket holders are unhappy after receiving invoices with substantial price increases for seats at 2024 games.

"It was a surprise, I would say," said Josh Woolard, a Lions fan and season ticket holder. "After kind of crunching the numbers myself, it was about 67% increase overall in my ticket prices."

The Lions, with 10-4, have quickly become the hottest ticket in town. The team has won 19 games over the last two seasons, and are tied for the most victories they’ve ever logged in a two-season span.

Season tickets sold out for the first time ever in the Ford Field era going into this year, but many fans were still not expecting the drastic increase in prices.

Ticket prices saw an average increase of 30%, however, several Lions fans told the Detroit Free Press that prices increased as high as 85%.

"I feel a little bit backed into a corner, just a little, cause I’m going to renew them. With the wait list that’s there now, it’s one of those things that – I’ll figure that one out and make sure that I get those tickets, and I’m in those seats next year."

A friend of FOX 2's Ryan Ermanni has been a season ticket holder for about 50 years, he said.

"He’s taken them over since they went to Ford Field, and he’s just shocked," Ermani said. "He’s disappointed, but even he understands it."

Price jumps are the cost of success for an organization that once had the lowest price of admission in the NFL, Ermanni added.

"I really do feel bad for Lions fans who feel like, even in this great season that they’re having, they just got punched in the gut a little bit," he said. "But I think from a business perspective… I think those ticket prices are in line now with the top half of the league." 

These are the introductory prices, according to analysts. Fans can expect prices to go even higher.