Win or loss, part of the appeal of attending an NFL game in person is the experience of being surrounded by fellow football fans. You use one of the top NJ betting apps, cheer, commiserate, and indulge in classic stadium food and drinks together. Is the beer and food you order at a game good? Sometimes. Will you eat and drink regardless if it’s good or not? Most NFL fans say yes.
When it comes to shelling out that money for food and drink, some NFL stadiums are more affordable than others.
But regardless of where you watch an NFL team play, your wallet (and maybe your stomach) will feel the impact of those stadium foods.
Which foods are the most desired by fans at sports locations? And which stadiums give the most bang for a buck?
NJ Bet looked at the average prices of stadium concessions to see what teams are the most affordable when it comes to regular beer, hot dogs and soda. We also surveyed more than 1,000 NFL fans about their experience with stadium concessions.
NFL Stadium Concession Favorites
Some people order the same food every time they go to an NFL game, others order different things depending on the stadium itself. But all fans agree that some classic concessions just reign supreme, like the hot dog which is the number one favorite stadium food. You’d be hard-pressed to go to an NFL game and not see dozens, if not hundreds, of people eating hot dogs.
Nachos are a close second, followed by beer, pretzels, and chicken tenders. Other top concessions include french fries, cheeseburgers, brats, hamburgers, and popcorn.
When it comes to buying food and drinks, 75% say they buy food and drinks for more than 2 people at a time. What are fans actually buying? Usually, it’s beer, and this beverage ranks first for the most purchased concession during an NFL game.
Fans also commonly buy hot dogs, soda, nachos, water, pretzels, french fries, popcorn, chicken tenders, and pizza. All this food and drink adds up though, with fans saying they’ll spend an average of $58 on concessions during an NFL game.
Buying NFL Concessions
The majority of fans probably buy both a beer and a hot dog when they approach a cashier, but we were curious…if they had to choose and could only buy one, which would they buy? Over half (56%) would go for the hot dog, while 44% say it’s all about the beer.
Some stadiums (in New Jersey and other states) utilize local vendors and restaurants to supply food to fans, and most fans (53%) say they’re more likely to choose the food option from a local restaurant. But that doesn’t mean they don’t still want hot dogs and nachos, as 61% added they would choose those classic stadium foods over unique stadium dishes. Be careful what (or how much) you eat, 1 in 10 fans says they’ve gotten sick or felt nauseous after eating stadium food!
We all know that when it comes to actually getting up from your seat to go buy food or drinks, it can be a time-consuming process. 88% of fans say long lines deter them from getting concessions, and 84% add that stadiums should add more stands to help cut down on these wait times.
How long are people willing to wait to order something? On average, only about 12 minutes. But that could be the difference between seeing a touchdown or having to listen to everyone else cheer for a play you missed!
Some stadiums are beginning to introduce features where you can text your order and have it delivered to your seat, saving you time waiting in lines. 52% of fans say they’d be willing to pay more to get concessions this way.
It’s a known fact that food and drinks are inherently more expensive inside a stadium, so to save a little money, some fans might try to sneak some food in to skip paying. More than 3 in 10 fans say they’ve brought something in, and of those who have snuck in something 52% say they brought in food, 14% snuck in alcohol and 34% snuck in both.
Stadium Concession Prices
Especially when NFL game tickets themselves can be expensive, the added cost of concessions can add a burden to your wallet. About 3 in 4 Americans choose concessions based on price, opting for food or drink that’s cheaper. Inflation is also making an impact, 56% plan to buy less due to those higher prices. Nearly all football fans agree: stadium concessions across the board are overpriced.
How much should a regular hot dog cost?
NFL fans think about $4, and the average hot dog across all NFL stadiums is $5.60.
What about beer?
Fans think a regular beer should be around $5.50, while the actual average is much higher at $9.25. For non-beer drinkers, maybe they prefer a soda with their hot dog. Respondents think a regular soda should cost no more than $3, which in actuality the average cost is $4.98.
70% of fans agree that no matter what city and no matter the team, stadium concessions should universally be around the same price.
NFL Hot Dogs
Some stadiums may be perceived to have more expensive concessions, others may be perceived to be more affordable. We were curious as to which NFL teams fans think are the most and least expensive, and which teams are actually the most affordable for fans.
When it comes to hot dogs, fans thought the homes of the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars had the cheapest regular hot dogs. In actuality, the Atlanta Falcons have the cheapest (at $2.00 per dog), followed by the Baltimore Ravens, the Carolina Panthers, the Arizona Cardinals, and the New England Patriots.
Not every stadium has affordable dogs. Fans thought the home stadiums of the LA Rams, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and LA Chargers all had the priciest hot dogs. Fans were right with the Rams having the most expensive (at $8.00 per dog), followed by the Las Vegas Raiders, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills.
NFL Beer
Another important product of NFL stadium concessions is beer. Who do fans think has the cheapest beer? The Green Bay Packers, followed by the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans. The teams that actually have the least expensive regular beers include the Atlanta Falcons (at $5.00), the New York Jets, the Detroit Lions, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans.
Once again fans believe the LA Rams have the most expensive beer, followed by the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots. The stadiums with the most expensive beer are actually the homes of the Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers.
NFL Sodas
Maybe beer isn’t your move, but chances are you need something to wash down that hot dog with. When looking at regular sodas, fans believe the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Cincinnati Bengals. You can find the least expensive soda with the Atlanta Falcons (fans were right) at $2.00, and the Falcons are followed by the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and New York Giants.
According to fans, the most expensive sodas belong to the LA Rams, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and LA Chargers. The actual most expensive sodas belong to the Cincinnati Bengals ($6.35), Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, and the New Orleans Saints.
Methodology
In October 2022, we surveyed 1,006 NFL fans to get their feedback on NFL stadium concession quality and prices. Respondents were 50% female and 50% male, with an age range of 18 to 89 and an average age of 40 years old.
We also analyzed data from Team Marketing Report’s 2021 NFL Fan Cost Index report to get the prices of regular beer, hot dogs, and sodas at all 32 NFL stadiums. We used the most recent data available for this study.
