Detroit Lions ticket prices are going through the roof as rare playoff run jolts local economy

#1:Detroit Lions ticket prices are going through the roof as rare playoff run jolts local economy

Even Eminem might cringe at how much it costs to witness the Lions make their Cinderella run for the Super Bowl.

Playoff tickets are fetching an average of $1,097 for the Lions home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Detroit, easily the most expensive Divisional playoff game on record and the second-most expensive non-Super Bowl playoff game, according to online marketplace TickPick.

That’s nearly double the previous record ($605) for a Divisional round playoff game set just last year when the San Francisco 49ers visited the Dallas Cowboys.

Even standing room-only seats are selling for almost $700, according to TickPick.

The Lions, long one of the worst performing franchises in pro sports, are having a moment right now. And the entire Detroit economy is cashing in on the team’s rare playoff success, not just the ticket vendors.

Bars, restaurants, casinos and hotels are all experiencing soaring demand as local fans and visitors alike flock to downtown Detroit following the team’s first playoff victory in 32 years.

Detroit native Eminem attended the Lions’ game in person last week. And he may have summed it up best when he narrated the opening to NBC’s broadcast of the Lions game last Sunday by saying: “This is the story of what a football team can mean to a city.”

Sunday’s playoff game alone is projected to boost the Detroit metro economy by $52 million, according to consulting firm Anderson Economic Group.

“A $50 million stimulus to the Detroit economy is a really big deal,” said Tyler Theile, director of public policy and economic analysis at AEG.

That stimulus projection factors in fan spending inside the stadium as well as outside at hotels, restaurants, stores and bars.

“This has been monumental for the city,” said Remy Lutfy, a Detroit resident and co-owner of downtown steakhouse Vertical Detroit.

Normally closed on Sundays in January, Vertical Detroit was jam-packed last Sunday to host fans before the Lions game.