NFL Preseason Tickets 2026: Prices, Best Deals and Where to Buy
NFL preseason tickets 2026 are the cheapest way to get inside an NFL stadium all year. Get-in prices for several teams start in single digits, and most games sit under $25 for the cheapest available seat.
Here is the bottom line. The window is short. The preseason opens with the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 6, and every remaining game runs between August 13 and August 29. After that, prices reset to regular season levels and stay there until January.
If you want a cheap first look at your team, these three weeks are it.
Quick Facts: 2026 NFL Preseason
| Hall of Fame Game | Thursday, August 6, 2026, 8:00 PM ET |
| Hall of Fame matchup | Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals |
| Hall of Fame venue | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio |
| Preseason Week 1 | August 13 to August 15 |
| Preseason Week 2 | August 20 to August 23 |
| Preseason Week 3 | August 27 to August 29 |
| Total games | 49 (48 games plus the Hall of Fame Game) |
| Games per team | 3 (Panthers and Cardinals play 4) |
| Roster cutdown to 53 | Sunday, August 30, 6:00 PM ET |
| Regular season opener | Wednesday, September 9, 2026 |
| Typical get-in price | $2 to $22 depending on team |
Check live prices before you read on: NFL preseason tickets on StubHub and NFL preseason tickets on Vivid Seats. The same seat is often priced differently on each marketplace, so open both.
How Much are NFL Preseason Tickets in 2026?
Preseason pricing surprises people. The cheapest listing for several teams sits under $10. Team-level averages run between $26 and $57.
Here is what listings looked like across a sample of teams on Vivid Seats as of August 6, 2026.
| Team | Get-in price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | $15 | $57 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | $9 | $45 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | $7 | $40 |
| New York Giants | $2 | $28 |
| New England Patriots | $2 | $28 |
| Minnesota Vikings | $4 | $27 |
| Tennessee Titans | $5 | $26 |
Snapshot only. Resale prices change hourly.
One thing to understand before you compare numbers elsewhere. League-wide preseason averages quoted by some marketplaces run much higher, in the $128 to $142 range. Those figures fold in club seats, suites and Hall of Fame Game inventory, which drags the average up. Team-level averages are the more useful number if you are buying an ordinary seat.
Individual games vary widely too. TickPick currently shows the Cardinals at Raiders opener at Allegiant Stadium with a $22 get-in price against a $219 average, because Las Vegas carries an unusually deep pool of premium inventory. Always check the specific game rather than trusting a league-wide figure.
What Drives Preseason Ticket Prices
- Day of week. Saturday and Sunday games sit above Thursday and Friday games.
- Week number. Week 1 carries novelty pricing. Week 3 is softest because fans know starters play the least.
- Stadium size. Big buildings like AT&T Stadium and MetLife Stadium hold more supply, which pushes get-in prices down.
- Season ticket bundling. Season ticket holders must buy the preseason home games. Many dump them on resale below face value, and that is the inventory you want.
- Market demand. Buffalo and Pittsburgh hold their pricing. The New York stadiums, Nashville and Minneapolis do not.
- Time to kickoff. Preseason is one of the few NFL windows where waiting usually helps you.
Games With Firmer Pricing
Two storylines are lifting demand this August. Patrick Mahomes is working back from a knee injury, which firms up Chiefs home dates. And Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is among the most watched first year players in the league. If those are your target games, the usual wait-until-kickoff advice applies less.
Full 2026 NFL Preseason Schedule
All times Eastern. The second team listed is the home team, so that is the stadium you would be buying into.
Hall of Fame Game: Thursday, August 6
| Time | Matchup | TV |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 PM | Panthers at Cardinals (Canton, OH) | NBC, Peacock |
Preseason Week 1: August 13 to 15
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Aug 13 | 7:00 PM | Lions at Bengals | Local TV |
| Thu, Aug 13 | 7:00 PM | Packers at Steelers | NFL Network |
| Thu, Aug 13 | 7:30 PM | Colts at Patriots | Local TV |
| Thu, Aug 13 | 8:00 PM | Chargers at Texans | Local TV |
| Thu, Aug 13 | 8:00 PM | Cardinals at Raiders | Local TV |
| Thu, Aug 13 | 9:00 PM | Titans at 49ers | NFL Network |
| Fri, Aug 14 | 7:00 PM | Broncos at Falcons | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 14 | 7:00 PM | Dolphins at Commanders | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 14 | 7:00 PM | Buccaneers at Jets | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 1:00 PM | Panthers at Bills | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 1:00 PM | Browns at Bears | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 1:00 PM | Vikings at Giants | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 4:00 PM | Rams at Chiefs | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 4:00 PM | Jaguars at Saints | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 7:00 PM | Eagles at Ravens | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 15 | 8:00 PM | Cowboys at Seahawks | NFL Network |
Preseason Week 2: August 20 to 23
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Aug 20 | 8:00 PM | Raiders at Texans | ESPN |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 10:00 PM | 49ers at Chargers | NFL Network |
| Fri, Aug 21 | 7:00 PM | Jets at Steelers | NFL Network |
| Fri, Aug 21 | 7:30 PM | Panthers at Jaguars | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 21 | 9:00 PM | Packers at Broncos | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 12:00 PM | Commanders at Lions | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 1:00 PM | Bills at Browns | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 1:00 PM | Falcons at Colts | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 1:00 PM | Ravens at Vikings | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 4:00 PM | Saints at Rams | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 4:00 PM | Giants at Dolphins | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 7:00 PM | Bears at Bengals | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 7:00 PM | Eagles at Patriots | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 7:30 PM | Chiefs at Buccaneers | Local TV |
| Sat, Aug 22 | 10:00 PM | Cowboys at Cardinals | NFL Network |
| Sun, Aug 23 | 8:00 PM | Seahawks at Titans | FOX |
Preseason Week 3: August 27 to 29
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Aug 27 | 7:00 PM | Steelers at Bills | NFL Network |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 8:00 PM | Patriots at Browns | Prime Video |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 8:00 PM | 49ers at Raiders | Local TV |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 10:00 PM | Rams at Chargers | NFL Network |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 6:00 PM | Commanders at Ravens | NFL Network |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 7:00 PM | Texans at Panthers | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 7:00 PM | Falcons at Dolphins | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 7:30 PM | Buccaneers at Jaguars | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 7:30 PM | Giants at Jets | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 8:00 PM | Bengals at Eagles | CBS |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 8:00 PM | Seahawks at Chiefs | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 8:00 PM | Saints at Cowboys | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 8:00 PM | Cardinals at Packers | Local TV |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 9:00 PM | Vikings at Broncos | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 1:00 PM | Lions at Colts | NFL Network |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 6:00 PM | Bears at Titans | NFL Network |
Note that Week 3 front-loads almost everything into Friday night. Only two games remain on Saturday, August 29, and Bears at Titans at 6:00 PM ET is the final preseason game of 2026.
Best Deals on NFL Preseason Tickets 2026
These are the games where your money goes furthest.
Cheapest Games to Attend
Soft-market home games on weeknights give you the lowest entry cost. Look hardest at these:
- Colts at Patriots, Thursday, August 13, Gillette Stadium. Patriots preseason listings open near $2 despite their Super Bowl run last season.
- Vikings at Giants, Saturday, August 15, MetLife Stadium. Giants listings also start around $2.
- Panthers at Jaguars, Friday, August 21, EverBank Stadium. Friday night in a soft market.
- Falcons at Colts, Saturday, August 22, Lucas Oil Stadium. Early kickoff, low demand.
- Texans at Panthers, Friday, August 28, Bank of America Stadium. Week 3 plus Friday night is the softest combination on the calendar.
- Bears at Titans, Saturday, August 29, Nissan Stadium. The preseason finale, with Titans get-in prices near $5.
The Best Value Play: Week 3
Week 3 is the cheapest week of the preseason on average. Starters play the fewest snaps, casual fans stay home, and season ticket holders unload inventory hard in the final days.
There is a real reason to go anyway. The 53-man roster deadline falls on Sunday, August 30 at 6:00 PM ET, two days earlier than in recent seasons. That makes these the last auditions for dozens of players fighting for jobs, and it usually produces the most urgent football of the preseason even with starters watching from the sideline.
Where Prices Hold
Week 2 is traditionally the heaviest usage week for starters, and pricing follows. Games like Eagles at Patriots and Cowboys at Cardinals hold value to kickoff. Buffalo is the firmest market in the sample above, with a get-in price roughly seven times higher than the Giants or Patriots.
Where to Buy NFL Preseason Tickets 2026
Two marketplaces cover every game on the 2026 preseason calendar and both back purchases with a buyer guarantee.
| Feature | StubHub | Vivid Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Preseason coverage | All 32 teams, all games | All 32 teams, all games |
| Buyer protection | FanProtect guarantee | 100% Buyer Guarantee |
| Delivery | Mobile transfer, instant download | Mobile transfer, instant download |
| Loyalty program | No standing rewards program | Vivid Seats Rewards, buy 10 get the 11th free |
| Customer service | Extended hours support | Named number one for ticketing service by Newsweek four years running |
| Best for | Deepest listing volume and last minute price drops | Repeat buyers who want rewards credit |
How to Compare Properly
Open the same game on both sites and follow these steps.
- Turn on all-in pricing. Both marketplaces let you display prices with fees included. Do this first or your comparison means nothing.
- Filter by quantity. Two seats together price differently than four. Set your exact quantity before comparing.
- Sort by price, then check the section. The cheapest listing is sometimes obstructed view or standing room.
- Compare final checkout totals, not listing prices. Fee structures differ between the two.
- Buy when the total is right. Preseason prices usually drift down, but specific sections do sell through.
Hall of Fame Game Tickets 2026
The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicks off Thursday, August 6 at 8:00 PM ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, with the Carolina Panthers facing the Arizona Cardinals on NBC and Peacock. Because of the Canton trip, both clubs play four preseason games this summer instead of the usual three.
Canton behaves nothing like a regular NFL market. Capacity is about 23,000, far below any NFL venue, so supply is tight and prices run higher than a standard preseason game despite the low profile matchup. Enshrinement week traffic pushes demand further.
If you are planning for the 2027 Hall of Fame Game, buy early. It is the one preseason game where waiting works against you.
How to Watch If You Cannot Attend
Only five preseason games have exclusive national windows in 2026:
| Date | Game | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 6 | Panthers at Cardinals | NBC |
| Aug 20 | Raiders at Texans | ESPN |
| Aug 23 | Seahawks at Titans | FOX |
| Aug 27 | Patriots at Browns | Prime Video |
| Aug 28 | Bengals at Eagles | CBS |
NFL Network carries a large slate of out-of-market games, and everything else airs on a local station in the two teams’ markets.
NFL+ streams national and out-of-market preseason games, subject to local blackouts. Fans with an antenna can watch the NBC, FOX and CBS games free in their local market.
Best Seats for a Preseason Game
Preseason is the wrong time to pay for premium location.
- Upper deck sideline is the best value in the building. You see full formations, which matters when you are watching unfamiliar players compete for roster spots.
- Lower level end zone often prices close to the upper deck in preseason. Always worth checking.
- Club and premium seats are hard to justify. Starters may play a single series and the atmosphere does not match a regular season crowd.
- Skip the far upper corners in older stadiums. The saving over a sideline seat is usually a few dollars.
One practical note. Preseason crowds are thin and stadiums are relaxed about seat filling after halftime. Buy the cheapest seat in a section you actually want to be near.
What to Know Before You Buy
Starters play limited snaps: Most coaches rest established veterans, especially in Week 3. Buy for the experience, the stadium and the roster battles rather than for star players.
Preseason games do not count: Results have no bearing on standings or playoff qualification.
Parking is a real cost: Stadium lots often charge full regular season rates in August. Budget $30 to $60 on top of your ticket. On a $10 ticket, parking is your biggest expense.
Tickets are mobile only: Every NFL stadium uses mobile entry. Add your ticket to your phone wallet before you leave home, because stadium wifi is unreliable.
Season ticket holders are your friend: Most cheap preseason inventory comes from members who never intended to attend. That inventory hits resale hardest in the 72 hours before kickoff.
FAQ About NFL Preseason Tickets 2026
How much do NFL preseason tickets cost in 2026?
Get-in prices run from about $2 to $22 depending on the team and the game. Team-level averages sit between $26 and $57. Buffalo is the most expensive market in our sample at roughly $15 to get in and $57 on average, while the Giants and Patriots have listings starting near $2.
Are NFL preseason tickets cheaper than regular season tickets?
Yes, substantially. Regular season NFL tickets are commonly cited around $110 on average league-wide, and popular teams like the Cowboys and Chiefs regularly top $170. Preseason team averages sit in the $26 to $57 range for the same stadiums.
When is the cheapest time to buy NFL preseason tickets?
The final 48 to 72 hours before kickoff. Preseason games rarely sell out, so sellers cut prices to move inventory. This is the opposite of the regular season, where waiting usually costs you money.
Which preseason week has the cheapest tickets?
Week 3, which runs August 27 to 29 in 2026. Starters play the fewest snaps that week and demand drops accordingly.
Where can I buy NFL preseason tickets 2026?
StubHub and Vivid Seats both list every 2026 preseason game with verified resale inventory and a buyer guarantee. Team box offices and Ticketmaster also sell primary inventory, though resale pricing on preseason games usually comes in below face value.
How many preseason games does each NFL team play in 2026?
Three games for 30 teams. The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals each play four because of their Hall of Fame Game appearance in Canton.
Do season tickets include preseason games?
Yes. NFL season ticket packages require members to buy the preseason home games. That is exactly why so much cheap preseason inventory reaches resale marketplaces.
Do starters play in NFL preseason games?
Sparingly. Most teams give starters a series or two in Week 2 and rest them in Week 3. The bulk of the snaps go to rookies, depth players and roster bubble candidates.
When is the last NFL preseason game of 2026?
Bears at Titans on Saturday, August 29 at 6:00 PM ET on NFL Network. Teams must then cut down to 53 players by 6:00 PM ET on Sunday, August 30.
When does the 2026 NFL regular season start?
Wednesday, September 9, 2026, when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
NFL preseason tickets 2026 give you the lowest cost entry to an NFL stadium on the entire calendar, but the window closes on August 29. Get-in prices start near $2 in the softest markets, Week 3 is the cheapest week, and the last 72 hours before kickoff is when sellers blink.
Open the same game on StubHub and Vivid Seats with all-in pricing switched on, compare the final checkout totals, and buy the lower one. That single habit saves more money than any other tactic on this page.
