The NFL is taking action against approximately 100 players and around two dozen club employees for breaching league policy related to the sale of Super Bowl 59 tickets. According to a source familiar with the investigation, players who resold their tickets will be fined 1.5 times the original face value they paid for the tickets. Additionally, these players will be prohibited from purchasing tickets for the next two Super Bowls unless they are participating in the games. Club employees who have violated the policy will face even stricter penalties, including a fine of two times the ticket's face value.
In a memo circulated to NFL teams and obtained by the press, Sabrina Perel, the NFL's head of compliance, noted that the league is still finalizing its investigation. She stated, “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy.” The league's long-standing policy, which is embedded within the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), explicitly prohibits league or club personnel, including players, from selling NFL game tickets they obtained from their employer for a price exceeding either the ticket's face value or the original purchase amount, whichever is less.
The investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a limited number of "bundlers," who were collaborating with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets at inflated prices above their face value. As a result of these findings, the memo indicated that the “bundlers” will also face increased penalties for their involvement.
According to the CBA, players across all 32 teams are permitted to purchase two tickets for the Super Bowl. In anticipation of Super Bowl LX, additional compliance training regarding the ticket sale policy will be implemented for all league personnel. Perel emphasized that this training aims to clarify the specific requirements of the policy and reinforce the principle that no individual should benefit financially from their affiliation with the NFL to the detriment of fans.
Moreover, Perel indicated that future violations of this policy will incur heightened penalties. She urged all clubs to ensure that their personnel are fully aware of and adhere to the policy, with further details regarding the enhanced compliance measures expected to be released in early fall.
The recent enforcement action comes on the heels of the Philadelphia Eagles' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, which took place on February 9, in a Super Bowl rematch that recalled their prior showdown two years before.
This crackdown underscores the NFL's commitment to maintaining the integrity of its ticketing policies and ensuring that fans are treated fairly when it comes to purchasing tickets for major events like the Super Bowl.
