2012 Super Bowl Parking Report: By The Numbers
NFL football fans from every corner of the country are clearly energized and excited for the first ever Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium. There was some apprehension from NFL officials over how fan turnout would be impacted by the cold Indiana climate. That concern appears to be unfounded according to our most recent sales data, which shows 20% more parking spaces sold than last year at this same time. What’s more impressive is that the average price for a parking reservation increased by 31% and the average pricing for standard non-tailgate parking spots increased by over 8%.
With over 12,000 spaces available through ParkWhiz.com, we have 3 times the number of spaces that are available through the NFL.
Here are some data points comparing Super Bowl sales this year versus last year.
| Data Point | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Average Price | $140 | $184 |
| Least Expensive Sold | $33 | $39 |
| Most Expensive Sold | $900 | $1099 |
| Average Tailgating Spot Price | $147 | $96 |
| Average Non-Tailgating Spot Price | $81 | $88 |
| Average RV Spot Price | $806 | $513 |
| Spaces Available | 5,000 | 12,000 |
| Ticket Increase (vs Season) | 2298% | 2427% |
| Parking Increase (vs Season) | 340% | 890% |
The Good News: Cheaper to Party
Despite what seems to be a giant jump in the average price of parking compared to last year, a closer look at the data actually reveals a very different story. The primary reason for the large jump in the average price of parking actually resulted from a dramatic decrease in pricing for Tailgate and RV parking spots.
How did a decrease in pricing for Tailgate and RV parking produce an increase in the average price of all parking?
Well it’s actually pretty simple. Hundreds of fans have wised-up and purchased their Tailgate and RV parking well in advance. Super Bowl Tailgaters that have already purchased their parking saved an average of 35% from last year’s price, and drivers who have already purchased RV parking have saved an average of almost $300 per parking spot reservation. Because of these lower prices, more people are willing to spend on the more expensive tailgating and RV parking spots, which has driven the overall average price up.
This is great news for fans who plan on celebrating long and hard, but there is some doubt regarding how long this pricing trend will last, since the data shows that the biggest rush for Super Bowl parking is about to begin. Every year ParkWhiz has sold Super Bowl parking demand has shot up as soon as everybody knows what two teams will be playing.
Additionally, the majority of hotels in Indianapolis sit outside of the downtown area, so almost all fans traveling to the Super Bowl are expected to need a car and available parking in order to travel to and from all of the events. Fans that reserve early will have extra reasons and extra money to celebrate.
Understanding the Super Bowl Parking Statistics by Region/City
Traditionally, the cities that produce the most parking customers are either the cities that actually send teams to the Super Bowl, or the other major cities that are close to the Super Bowl site.
The host city tends to generate the largest percentage of customers and this year’s statistics have been no different, Indianapolis leads all other cities with 23% of all parking sales. Last year, 28% of all customers came from the host city of Dallas, and 19 people paid $99 for a spot despite living in the same zip code as Cowboys stadium.
Fans will travel from all over the country for the year’s biggest event in sports. Last year, one fan traveled from Diomede, Alaska – 3,814 miles — to attend the Super Bowl.
What Can We Expect From Super Bowl Parking?
This year, fans everywhere seem to be anticipating an incredible Super Bowl 46, because the NFC and AFC conference championships have not even been determined, yet reservations are being made all over the country at a rate much higher than last year. Tucson, AZ and Philadelphia, PA have emerged as early front-runners, bringing in 5% and 8% of the all reservations respectively, with Chicago generating the second highest total of reservations with 10%.
The Chicago numbers are not surprising, because it is the 3rd biggest city in the country and sits just a couple hundred miles outsideof Indianapolis. However, none of these cities even produced a playoff team, yet they all seem to have football fans eager to attend this year’s Super Bowl. The four regions that still have a potential Super Bowl team have combined for only 10% of all parking reservations so far, which is only half of what the two Super Bowl teams generated last year.
Based on sales from previous years ParkWhiz expects to see a sharp surge in parking reservations once the two teams that will be competing in Super Bowl XLVI are determined.
Why This Year Might Be Special…
Again, it is simply a matter of the statistics. During last year’s Super Bowl, most parkers waited until the last week to purchase their parking reservations, and many of those reservations came from hometown fans of the teams competing in the Super Bowl. The two hometown cities last year were Green Bay, WI and Pittsburgh, PA — two of the smaller markets by population. But this year, the teams involved are the opposite of small markets…
The NFC Market
The four teams still remaining in the playoffs all hail from massive population hubs in United States. The New York Giants, the hottest team in the playoffs right now, represent the largest sports market in the United States. The Giants will have to go through the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC title, and the 49ers come from California which has the largest state population in the country.
The AFC Market
The two teams competing for a chance at the Super Bowl and the Lombardi Trophy in the AFC are in unique situations because their fan base comes from entire geographic regions, not just cities or states. The Baltimore Ravens have an extremely strong contingent of fans across all of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington DC. Similarly, the New England Patriots have a faithful following that dominates the 6 northeastern states. That region is so large it rivals the population of New York.
What We Know For Sure…
This has been one of the most exciting and record-setting seasons in NFL history and Super Bowl XLVI won’t be any different. All four teams have won championships in the last two decades, built a football legacy and developed a fiercely loyal fanbase. Once it is determined which teams will be moving onto the Super Bowl after winning their conference championships, there is little doubt that legions of fans will begin migrating from two of these four massive population hubs towards the Super Bowl site in Indianapolis in support of their teams.
The numbers suggest that parking will be snapped up quickly and prices will likely rise as we get closer to the big game. When this article got published there were still parking spots for as low $39, so fans that plan ahead will still be able to enjoy some great savings. But regardless of where you are coming from or who you are rooting for, you can always reserve guaranteed parking at the price you choose with ParkWhiz.