Dallas Cowboys Ticket Prices Over the Years
Whether you like them or hate them, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most recognized sports franchises in the world. Just going to a Dallas Cowboys game will show you just how special they are. Naturally, Dallas Cowboys tickets aren’t always cheap and easy to find because the team is so popular and well-known. But was it always that way, or have Cowboys tickets gotten more expensive in recent years, especially since AT&T Stadium opened in 2009? We thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the history of the franchise and how ticket prices for Cowboys games have changed over the years.
Before AT&T Stadium
During the last few seasons that the Cowboys played at Texas Stadium, their ticket prices were more than reasonable. In 2006, the average ticket price was $66.12, surprisingly cheap for such a high-profile franchise, especially since almost every Cowboys game is a marquee matchup. Of course, this season also came on the heels of Dallas missing the playoffs five times in the last six years and a full decade since the Cowboys had last won a playoff game. The proud franchise had also endured a losing season in four of the previous six years.
However, after the Cowboys made it back to the playoffs in 2006, there was a huge jump from $66.12 to $84.12 for the average ticket in both 2007 and 2008, which were the last two seasons the Cowboys played in Texas Stadium. It was a sudden and drastic jump in ticket prices that coincided with Dallas hiring Wade Phillips as its new head coach in 2007. In fairness, the Cowboys responded positively on the field, going 13-3 in 2007 and winning the NFC East for the first time since 1998, partially justifying the sharp rise in ticket prices.
Steady with a New Stadium
Naturally, there was another sharp increase in ticket prices for the 2009 season when the Cowboys moved into AT&T Stadium. The new stadium ended up costing $1.15 billion to build, making it one of the most expensive stadiums in the world. Of course, it also had the world’s largest HD video display and countless fan-friendly amenities that surpassed almost every other NFL stadium. As a result, the average price of a Cowboys home game jumped from $84.12 in the final season of Texas Stadium to $110.20 during the first season the Cowboys played at AT&T Stadium.
Remarkably, the Cowboys didn’t seem fit to raise their ticket prices during the first several years they played at AT&T Stadium. The average ticket price remained $110.20 every year through the 2016 season. In fairness, the Cowboys continued to be mired in mediocrity during that span, including a four-year playoff drought from 2009 to 2013, as AT&T Stadium didn’t make them a much better team on the field.
In 2018, after a slight resurgence behind young stars like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys saw their average ticket prices rise to $112.05, only to drop down to $110.27 in 2019. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, those changes aren’t anything drastic. Granted, an average ticket price of $110.20 is far from cheap, but it’s not outrageous considering the Cowboys are one of the most popular teams in pro sports and have one of the most awe-inspiring home stadiums.
Pandemic Drop
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, there was an inevitable drop in the average price of Cowboys tickets. During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, fewer people were interested in going to large public gatherings, causing a decline in the demand for tickets. However, the decline was relatively modest for the Cowboys, as the average ticket price went from $110.27 in 2019 to $99.50 in 2020 and 2021. Of course, the Cowboys also missed the playoffs in both 2019 and 2020, which didn’t help the demand for tickets. Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see in the years to come if and when the average price of Cowboys tickets returns to its pre-pandemic levels.
Comparison Shopping
Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Cowboys are actually near the bottom in terms of price increase between 2006 and 2020. As mentioned, the average ticket to a Cowboys game in 2006 was $66.12, increasing to $99.50 in 2020. That’s only a 50% increase in the price of tickets over 15 years. Of course, those numbers are skewed a little because the average cost of a ticket for 2019 was noticeably higher. Nevertheless, there are 23 NFL franchises that raised their prices by a higher percentage than Dallas did between 2006 and 2020.
Surprisingly, the Cowboys are not among the most expensive tickets in the NFL. In 2006, 10 other teams had a higher average ticket price than the Cowboys. By 2020, 18 teams had a higher average ticket price than the Cowboys average of $99.50. Again, if we rewind the clock to before the pandemic in 2019 when the Cowboys had an average of $110.27, there were only 12 NFL teams with a higher ticket average than Dallas.
The lesson here is that while the Cowboys have upgraded their facilities after moving into A&T Stadium in 2009, there are far more affordable tickets available than most people realize. AT&T Stadium is one of the few venues that offer standing-room-only tickets, which helps to drive the price of the average ticket down. This opens the door for fans to find cheap Cowboys tickets and experience one of the great stadiums in American sports in person.