- Lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will have the biggest impact
- The number of seats at the higher levels will see a blended increase of less than 1 percent
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Long-suffering Carolina Panthers fans will have to pay more to see the NFL’s worst team in 2024 after the club’s resale ticket prices plummeted during the club’s miserable 2023 campaign.
Billionaire David Tepper’s 2-15 team will increase overall ticket prices by just over 4 percent in 2024, despite being shut out of the final two games of 2023.
Lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will see the biggest impact, with season ticket prices increasing an average of 7 percent over last year for permanent seating license owners, a team spokesperson said. Higher level seats will see a combined increase of less than 1 percent, with 90 percent of ticket prices remaining the same.
Premium tickets, including club seats and suites, will increase based on the terms in their contracts.
The 2023 Panthers proved so unpopular with fans that ticket prices fell below a dollar for the team’s Dec. 17 win over the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Charlotte.
A fan watches before a game between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers in December
David Tepper draws criticism after raising ticket prices for team that finished 2-15 in 2023
But in addition to their poor form on the field, the monsoon that swept through Carolina in 2023 was a big factor in tickets dropping to just 45 cents that night.
Fans naturally object to the ticket increase.
“I don’t understand how Tepper thinks it’s a smart idea to raise the ticket price when this team finished 2-15 last season,” one fan wondered on X.
Another fan added, “Any decision David Tepper makes about the Panthers is a bad decision. It’s funny how terrible an owner he is.’
The team has not released the new actual cost of a season ticket by section, other than to say the most affordable season ticket package is $510 – the same as last season.
The Panthers struggled through the 2023 season after spending the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Bryce Young. Carolina sent top wide receiver DJ Moore and four draft picks to the Chicago Bears to move up in the draft and get Young, including what turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.
Last season, there was frustration and apathy among Carolina fans, and head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer were fired.
The Panthers struggled in 2023 after spending the No. 1 pick on quarterback Bryce Young
Carolina Panthers fans didn’t hesitate to criticize David Tepper for raising ticket prices in 2024
The Panthers faced half-empty stadiums toward the end of the season and, in the case of a home game against Dallas, a crowd filled with mostly Cowboys fans.
According to research conducted by the team, Panthers ranked 19th in the 32-team NFL in non-premium ticket prices in 2023 and still expect to remain similar this season despite the 4 percent increase. The team says research shows 93 percent of NFL teams are increasing ticket prices for 2024, with four teams yet to release pricing information.
PSL owners will receive an email notification on Tuesday with details of the ticket price changes.
The team says PSL owners have until May 1 to renew their season tickets. Those who sign up for a payment game or pay in full by April 1 will be eligible for an all-inclusive trip to the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit.