NFL average ticket price rises 7.9 percent: study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Football fans will have to open their wallets wider this season as ticket prices in the National Football League continue to rise despite the weak U.S. economy, according to a study by a sports marketing firm.

The average price of an NFL ticket is up 7.9 percent, while the cost of an outing for a family of four has risen almost as much, according to an annual study prepared by Team Marketing Report (TMR) in Northbrook, Illinois.

For the fourth consecutive year, the average ticket price for an NFL game rose about $5, increasing to $72.20, according to TMR, which compiles ticket data on all the major North American sports leagues.

The cost of taking a family of four to an NFL game rose 7.1 percent to $396.36, according to TMR, which released the study late Thursday and updated it Friday. The study's Fan Cost Index comprises the price of four tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking, two game programs and two caps.

The NFL is the most popular North American sports league, boasting strong television ratings and annual league revenue topping $7 billion.

The league's 32 owners, however, in May terminated their labor contract with the players union early in a move to cut salary costs. They also cited rising payments to cover stadium construction, operations and improvements.

Twelve teams had double-digit percentage increases in average ticket prices, three more than last year, TMR said.

The New England Patriots, which finished the regular season undefeated and lost in the Super Bowl championship game, topped the league again with an increase of almost 30 percent to an average ticket price of $117.64. It is the only team with an average price in the triple digits. The cost for a family of four at New England games jumped 22.6 percent to $596.25.

The Tampa Bay (Florida) Buccaneers saw the next biggest jump in ticket prices at 24.4 percent, to the second-highest average in the NFL, $90.13. The cost for a family of four is $483.02, the third-highest in the league behind New England and the Chicago Bears ($484.31).

The Super Bowl champion New York Giants' average ticket price rose 8.3 percent to $88.06, while the family cost rose 12.4 percent to $480.74, the fourth-highest in the NFL.

Eight teams kept their average ticket prices unchanged. The Buffalo (New York) Bills had the lowest average ticket price at $51.24, up 10.3 percent from last year, TMR said.

The Bills' cost for a family of four was $298.96, making it the only team under $300. There were four teams under $300 last season, six in 2006 and 10 in 2005, TMR said.

(Reporting by Ben Klayman; editing by John Wallace)