Local

Panthers ticket prices on the rise

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ticket prices have gone even higher since Sunday when it was decided the Carolina Panthers will play the San Francisco 49ers.

"This was going to be the first game my son was going to get to go to," said Justin Desveaux, a fan.

He saved up to buy tickets for his son Christopher and other family members but they sold out in three minutes.

Now the cheapest tickets online are going for $165 dollars each.

"I was disheartened. I love my Panthers," Desveaux said.

The experts at www.seatgeek.com said they're seeing more demand for game tickets this weekend than any other event they've tracked in Charlotte.

• The least expensive tickets are $100 above face value.
• The best seats behind the Panthers' bench have sold for $1,500.
• The average ticket price for Sundays game is $276.

That beats the second most in-demand event Charlotte has had which was last summer when Beyonce tickets hit $248.

Connor Gregoire with seatgeek.com said it's regular fans and professionals selling tickets.

"Believe me. There are groups out there buying blocks of seats. They know their way around the system better than the average fan who is, for the first time, trying to get playoff tickets," Gregoire said.

If the Panthers defeat the 49ers Sunday and the New Orleans Saints pull off an upset in Seattle, tickets will be even more expensive for an NFC championship game in Charlotte.

If you can't get those tickets when their first sold to the public, experts think the average resale price could reach $500 each.

Want to know what's going on with the Carolina Panthers? Visit the WSOC-TV page devoted to them.