The steady increase in ticket prices to Detroit Lions games at Ford Field is coming to a halt next year.
Per the Detroit Free Press, the Lions are preparing to issue renewal invoices for Lions Loyal members (season ticket holders) at the beginning of December with the intention of keeping prices flat for the 2026 season. Part of this is because the Lions are preparing to play eight regular-season home games, along with one trip overseas.
In 2024, the franchise raised prices by 30%, with a whopping 146% increase for select seats. This season, the Lions followed that by raising prices another 25%.
Despite the hike, the Lions claimed a 98% renewal rate among season-ticket holders, with a waiting list of more than 20,000.
In April, Lions team president Rod Wood stated that the only complaints they had received were from suspected brokers who bought tickets with the intention of selling them for a profit.
“We track every game, how many tickets are sold in the secondary market, what the price is,” Wood said. “What’s interesting, our season average for our 10 games including preseason, the average ticket price on the secondary market was $404. The second-highest in the NFL was $270. So, we’re 50% higher than the next-highest team in the NFL. We’re not pricing our tickets at $404 -- we’re under $200 on average.
“So, we’re not going to jump to $400 but we are going to try and increase it to recognize what the market will carry.”
Right before their Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders, MLive spoke with Lions fans who made the trip to Northwest Stadium, claiming the entire trip was cheaper than attending a game at Ford Field.
Per league mandate, the Lions sent playoff invoices to season-ticket holders. Currently, the Lions are third in the NFC North. Should they manage to climb back to the top and win a third straight division crown, they will be guaranteed at least one home playoff game.
As part of next season’s schedule, the Lions will have nine home games with one played internationally. They are overdue for one as league requires every team to play internationally once every eight years. Their last one was in 2015 when they fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs in London.
In 2020, the NFL scheduled a Lions-Jacksonville Jaguars matchup in London, but COVID-19 led to the cancellation of all international games that season.
While the order of games is not apparent, the Lions’ list of opponents for next season is set.
Their home schedule for 2026 includes matchups against their division opponents, obviously —Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings — along with the New England Patriots, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and teams from the AFC South and NFC East that finish in the same place as the Lions in the standings.
For their road games, they play their three division matchups as well as the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and an NFC West team that has yet to be determined.
The Lions currently have marketing rights in Germany, Brazil, Canada, Austria and Switzerland as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program.