I’m sure by now you’ve all read or heard about the Super Bowl ticket issues facing travelers in Phoenix, Arizona.
People who bought SB tickets are having their orders cancelled, last minute, en masse -Reddit
Super Bowl ticket holders face last-minute cancellations -ABC15 Phoenix
Super Bowl dream becomes nightmare for Seahawks fans after shortage of tickets -The Seattle Times
The Super Bowl business can be a very lucrative business. At times, not so. Now that the Phoenix Super Bowl is squarely behind us (but still forever etched in my mind) it’s a good time to reflect back on the business-side of what transpired this past week in Arizona.
It’s Economics 101 really. Supply vs. Demand plus a few unique intangibles thrown in there each year for good measure. It was a foggy crystal ball for sure as ticket brokers, hospitality companies and general fans looked to score Super Bowl game tickets at the best price.
Normally ticket prices are highest the day after the AFC and NFC Championship games. Ticket prices usually start out high and go down the closer you get to the game. In some cases, prices will go lower and lower and then spike a bit a day or two before the game. What I have never ever seen in the 21 years we’ve been in this crazy business is Super Bowl ticket prices start out high and continue higher and higher , that is until this year!
A lower level Super Bowl ticket started out at $3,200 after the championship games and ended up at $10,000 at kick-off. Really? $10,000!!! That’s $20,000 for two tickets. Like Warren Sapp at Super Bowl XLIX, ticket brokers that were shorting-selling ticket orders got caught with their pants down. They had no choice but to cancel orders as they stuck their neck out too far. Their skyrocketing ticket prices put their losses into the six and seven figure range and threatened to bankrupt their companies. So they canceled their orders and screwed their clients after they had traveled to Phoenix.
What a nightmare for ticket brokers and especially all of those football fans that were excited to attend the Super Bowl game only to be left out in the cold.
No one really expected the market to be so crazy especially after last year’s debacle in NYC where ticket prices went lower and lower and lower. Anyone holding tickets in their hands last year got burned. It was a buyer’s market. This year it was a seller’s dream market!
So how did my company VIPTIX fare in such a unique Super Bowl market of insanely high ticket prices?
We definitely lost a little bit of money which I was not happy about at all. We poured our heart and souls into preparing for a Super Bowl the day after the game ends. You sell tickets, hotels, packages and celebrity party passes all year long. As the game gets closer you have a tow week window after the teams qualify to provide and take care of your Super Bowl clients. So after all that work you come out short, it hurts big time.
But now that I’m back on my desk and reflect on all that transpired over the course of the last couple weeks VIPTIX fared so much better than the other ticket brokers, hospitality corporations and fans. I am proud that all of our clients were taken care of. Could we have given refunds and come out ahead like others in our industry sure. It’s not my style nor the message I want to send to our staff in Buffalo or our clients that put their faith and trust in us. Our reputation over the last 21 years has been great. Not fulfilling our end of the bargain would have left a permanent stain on our good standing among travel agents, concierges and our loyal clients.
In hindsight, we will move forward and learn from this year’s Super Bowl experience. In the meantime, I will continue enjoy reading the positive feedback and testimonials that keep pouring in. I’m not one to toot my own horn but here are a few of these emails:
Dear Nick,
THANK YOU! I just got rave reviews about you from Gary my Super Bowl client. He was telling me some nightmare ticket stories of people that he spoke with that got burned and told me how anxious he was. He was so relieved and happy to meet you.
Obviously, as a Patriots fan, he had a great time at the game.
I wanted to thank you for being one of the honest people out there!
I will let everyone in our office know that we should work with your company for any tickets that we need!
Best Regards,
Wendi Splettstoeszer |Travel Consultant
Globe Travel Service
___________________________________
Hey Nick,
The seats, and the whole event, were incredible. Anyway, thank you for making it so easy to get the tickets. If you are selling Super Bowl tickets again next year, we are buyers. And probably every year going forward! 
Thanks again and hope you had a great weekend as well.
Tracy Katz
Paradise Valley, Arizona
___________________________________
Hi Nick,
Sorry my phone died during the game. Thank you for keeping your word! The seats were unbelievable. Coach Kevin Sumlin, the Aggies, was one row up and two seats over from us! We talked to him as we are avid Aggies fans. It was way cool. I will be calling you if the Spurs make the playoffs. We are about 45 minutes from the Arena. Thanks for working with me. We are now loyal customers of yours and it was great to sit down and meet with you face-to-face. I will be contacting you in June, or maybe before, to set up next year’s Super Bowl tickets!
Yvonne & Kelly Kaatz
Johnson City, TX
___________________________________
Hi Nick!
Thanks for all your help again with Super Bowl this year! You're the best.
Robyn Potter
Potter Travel
Philadelphia, PA