Ahead of NFL kickoff, new research finds watching on streaming will run fans close to $3,000 in subscriptions and tailgating staples are up over 10% from last year
As summer winds down and football season kicks off, fans staking out their spots for stadium tailgates and stocking up on snacks for couch-side viewing parties are facing a steeper price tag, according to new analysis from Groundwork Collaborative.
Fans planning to fire up the grill for hotdogs and burgers, pop frozen appetizers in the oven, or crack open a beer from the cooler will find gameday costs blitzing last year’s prices. This season, a typical tailgate spread will cost fans 10% more than it did a year ago. Some game-day staples are posting price hikes that would make any coach call a timeout, including ketchup (up 17%), hot dogs (12%), and even pre-packaged potato salad (10%).
Fans don’t even have to leave the house to feel the squeeze, as simply turning on the game can come with its own costly penalty. Sports leagues have carved up game rights across a growing patchwork of paywalled apps and streaming services, leaving fans to juggle multiple subscriptions just to follow their teams. As regional broadcasters buckle under outdated business models, watching the game has become harder to navigate and more expensive.
Whether you’ll be on the couch locked in on RedZone, or hoping to score last-minute tickets after hosting the parking lot tailgate, you’ll be on the hook for a much bigger bill this year as Trump’s chaotic economic policy, unabashed corporate greed and market consolidation pummel fans
Groundwork’s Senior Advisor for Economic Policy Emily DiVito released the following statement:
“Between rising food prices and a nightmarish streaming landscape, game day has gone from a pastime to a privilege. Fans across the country are being pushed to the sidelines, and it’s time for policymakers, league executives, broadcasters, and food manufacturers to ask themselves what they’re willing to do about it.”
BACKGROUND
Tailgating staples cost more: Grocery prices have been markedly increasing over the past year and a half as Trump’s tariffs jack up prices for imported ingredients and his war in Iran sends transportation and packaging costs soaring. A basket of classic tailgating staples costs 10% more than it did a year ago – and 13.3% more than before Trump took office.
Streaming has fractured sports into a costly patchwork: High subscription prices and frustrating streaming platforms are pushing dedicated fans to the sidelines. Nearly six in ten sports fans said they’ve skipped watching a game in the past year because it was too expensive, with 32% saying this happened “many times.”