Greg Davis started coming to Broncos games in the 1960s as a kid without a ticket.  

“Back in the day, there was no security,” Davis told The Denver Gazette. “I would sneak in, and I didn’t have a seat, so I’d stand between my grandfather’s legs. I started going back in the Orange Crush days.” 

Six decades later, in the west parking lot of Empower Field at Mile High, Davis continued a beloved family tradition, tailgating for the Broncos-Titans season opener. His commitment to the team remains strong as ever. But plenty has changed since his childhood, and most notably, the cost of being a fan. 

“We went to the very first Super Bowl. It was 25 dollars. I have the ticket stub,” Davis said. “We went to the AFC Championship games, and those were probably like 15 or 20 dollars.” 

The NFL evolved into a lucrative business with league revenue reportedly surpassing $23 billion in the previous fiscal year. The annual team distribution from the league’s national media, sponsorship, and licensing revenue was reported at $416 million. That’s up almost 9 percent from the year before ($382M).  

The price of Broncos fandom — with more than 105,000 on the season ticket waitlist — is not cheap. 

The cost for a family to attend a game at Empower Field (including four tickets, two beers, two soft drinks, and parking) is about $1,643, according to a league-wide analysis from The Action Network. The study analyzed nearly 400,000 ticket listings, average concession prices and official parking rates across all 32 NFL teams. 

The Broncos ranked as the No. 8 most expensive game day experience in the league.  

The Broncos were also No. 4 in the NFL last season for ticket revenue with $129 million, according to Sportico.  

Davis is a Littleton resident who splits his season tickets between friends in Section 126. They determine before each year which four or five games they plan to attend and sell the rest. The NFL uses variable ticket pricing. That means all nine regular-season games at Empower Field are priced according to the quality of opponent and forecasted ticket demand. 

The cost in 2025 for a season ticket in Section 126 is listed at $1,670 (per the Broncos team website). The individual ticket face value for games against the Jaguars or Chargers is $108. The cost more than doubles to $274 for games against the Cowboys or Chiefs. Davis winced at the potential ticket price if the Broncos host a postseason game. 

“If we make the playoffs, I don’t know if I can afford it,” Davis said. 

Jason Pickett is a Fort Collins resident whose mother worked for the Broncos during the 1990s. It gave him a behind-the-scenes look at training camp in Greeley and game days at the old Mile High Stadium. Pickett joined the season ticket waitlist as a teenager — and 17 years later — he finally got four seats in the upper deck at Empower Field. 

“We make it cheaper by tailgating, cooking there, and having drinks and food before the game,” Pickett said. “We tailgate at Ball Arena, and now it’s more expensive. When it first started, I think it was like $15 if you paid with a card. Now, it’s like $30. So, within six years, it’s doubled. … But when I take kids and just go to the game, pay for parking, food, drinks, and yeah, it gets costly.” 

The Atwater Grill debuted this season outside Section 100 with smashed cheeseburgers and sides approved by Broncos’ legendary safety Steve Atwater. His favorite menu item — the Assassin Burger (a double with jalapenos and bacon jam) — is $18.27, not including sides. An order of spicy curly fries or onion rings is $8.27. Need a specialty cocktail? A Blue Thunder or Spicy Orange Rita costs $18.49. 

Take a walk around the main concourse at Empower Field. A large premium canned beer or canned cocktail is $15.99 from a walkthrough cooler. A basket of chicken fingers and fries is $19.49. The local Bagel Deli vendor offers its Mile High Madness — “A hearty combination of both tender corned beef and smoky pastrami with Swiss cheese on fresh rye bread, with potato chips,” per the menu — for $21.95. 

Logan Schuetz is an assistant professor at Metro State University in Denver with expertise in sports business management. He explained how NFL teams like the Broncos generate revenue.  

“The biggest source of revenue comes from national media rights and league-wide sponsorships. That money provides every franchise with a very strong financial baseline. Local revenue is still critical, though. Ticket sales, concessions, parking, premium seating, and merchandise all contribute and help shape the in-stadium experience,” Schuetz told The Denver Gazette. “This year with the Broncos, like most years, single-game ticket demand surged after the schedule release, which shows the Broncos can still drive strong local sales. The recent upgrades at Empower Field also make premium seating, club access, and concessions a bigger part of the financial picture.

“Even if tickets and concessions are a smaller percentage compared to media rights, they remain important because those revenues remain with the team and allow for more control over pricing at the local level.” 

The Broncos have options in place to help ease the cost of being a fan. 

A limited number of single-game half-priced tickets go on sale each summer in compliance with the team’s agreement with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District. There is also a Mile High Favs concessions menu available throughout most of Empower Field with many $5 items — like a hot dog, popcorn box, nachos with cheese, Bavarian pretzel, peanuts, candy, chips, soda, water, coffee, and hot chocolate.  

“The Walton-Penner ownership group continues to push us to make sure that we’re innovating and thinking differently about the fan experience,” said Jesse Nading, the Broncos’ senior vice president, strategy and business intelligence, during a Sept. 2 media event at Empower Field.  

Nading continued: “Making sure that the high bar they’ve set for Sean (Payton), that we’re building a complementary experience for our fans all throughout game day. … For us, a big focus on continuing to improve the quality of the food and beverage that our fans will experience throughout the stadium on game day. Continue to grow the variety and more local vendors. … As well as continuing to grow a lot of our value products. Our Mile High Favs menu, we’ve added to that to make sure there are items available at all price points across the building.” 

Keith Buderus was a senior in high school in 2006 when he put his name on the Broncos’ season ticket holders waiting list. Buderus got the phone call in 2020 that he was next in line.  

“I said: ‘Take my money,’” Buderus joked in phone interview with The Denver Gazette. 

The Colorado Springs resident has four seats, in Section 538, that he splits with a friend. In March, a Broncos season tickets account manager notified Buderus that the cost had increased from $3,684 last season to $3,924 in 2025. Buderus renewed. The Broncos adjusted ticket prices by an average of 8% entering this season. 

He still finds value in his Broncos game day experience at Empower Field. Buderus is enrolled in a season ticket holder program called Broncos Plus. It gives him 20% off on all concessions and merchandise, and “unique incentives” with a free membership.  

“It’s like a decision that we make on having so much of your money go to your mortgage, gas, or food. Then you’ve got your Broncos tickets,” Buderus said. “We park off site, so we don’t pay for parking. I think the Broncos have done a fantastic job in the past few years with Broncos Plus. You can get concessions for four dollars. All sorts of stuff. … It’s a give and take. This is the NFL and the Denver Broncos. The past few years, everything has skyrocketed (in price). Everything is more expensive.” 

The proposed Broncos stadium at Burnham Yard, anticipated for the 2031 NFL season, will be privately funded by the Walton-Penner ownership group. Season ticket holders like Pickett and Buderus have questions about how it shapes their future fan experience.  

It appears likely that personal seat licenses — a one-time fee that allows a season-ticket holder to purchase a seat at the stadium — will be implemented in a new Broncos stadium. 

“If it’s 10 grand, I think you’re going to push a lot of people out,” Buderus said. “I think that’s going to be too much for a seat. If it’s five grand? I’m in. I’ll find a way.” 

It’s hard to see the cost of being a Broncos fan falling anytime soon. But season ticket holders interviewed by The Denver Gazette are not deterred by the financial investment, especially since last season, when the Broncos returned to the playoffs after an 10-year drought.  

“Yes, there is a financial burden. But as a Broncos fan, I’m a ride or die fan. I’m not going to give it up, and I love their direction,” Pickett said. “Even if they stink … it’s spending time with friends. You get to the stadium, and you see people you know, and you connect. Even if you don’t know them, you’re high fiving. The experience is 100 percent what it’s about.” 

Buderus added: “The game day atmosphere and experience you get at Empower Field isn’t like anything else. I feel like the expense isn’t very outlandish for me. It comes with that. The main street, the fly over, the guys jumping out of the plane, the fireworks, Miles getting on top of the scoreboard — that place is crazy. They do it so well.” 

Davis, the longtime Broncos season ticket holder who snuck into games as a kid, keeps coming back. 

“I don’t think I’ve missed a season opener since the 70s,” Davis said.