The high demand for American football in Germany has once again been demonstrated as tickets for the highly-anticipated Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs game scheduled for November 5th in Frankfurt sold out within a mere 15 minutes. The match, announced for sale at noon Germany time today, saw its tickets evaporate faster than many fans could even reach the online queue.
This year’s sale has echoed the heightened emotions and frustrations of fans, some of whom vented their disappointment on social media. Numerous disgruntled fans shared their experiences of logging onto the ticketing platform Ticketmaster, only to be greeted by a disheartening message indicating that over a million people were already waiting in line ahead of them.
For those still hoping to attend the game, the only way now will be to purchase tickets from Ticketmaster’s official resale, which starts on July 12th. However, this alternative is often accompanied by skyrocketing prices, an unfortunate trend seen during last year’s equally popular Seattle Seahawks-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in Munich at Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich. That match attracted a multitude of German fans, filling up the stadium to its brim, and leading to ridiculous ticket prices in secondary markets.
The increasing popularity and successful rise of the NFL into the German market has sparked discussions about the league’s future prospects in the country. Interestingly, the level of fan engagement and the enthusiasm might be suggesting a brighter future for the NFL in Germany compared to England, despite the latter having hosted regular season games since 2007.
Nonetheless, the rising popularity of American football in Germany comes with a hefty price tag for fans. With high demand and limited supply, securing a seat in the stadium to take in one of their favorite sports often means fans have to shell out substantial amounts. Yet, the packed stadiums and fever for the game indicate that for many, the experience is worth every penny.
