The Detroit Lions are still one of the hottest draws in the NFL, and next year it won’t cost more to see them to play at Ford Field.
The Lions are preparing to send renewal invoices to season ticket holders in early December and plan to keep prices flat for the 2026 season in anticipation of playing eight regular-season home games with one trip overseas.
The team has hiked ticket prices significantly in recent years while building one of the best rosters and most competitive teams in the NFL.
After years of mostly flat pricing, they raised ticket prices an average of 4% during their early renewal period in 2023 before imposing more substantial increases the past two years.
In 2024, season tickets went up an average of 30%, and some fans saw their ticket prices go up as much as 146%. This year, they raised prices an average of 24%.
Despite the price hikes, the Lions still have a waiting list of just under 20,000 and one of the most rabid fan bases in the NFL.
The Lions are 7-4 entering this week’s Thanksgiving showdown with the Green Bay Packers and vying for their third straight NFC North title.
On Monday, Nov. 26, they sent playoff invoices to season ticket holders, as is mandated by the league. If the Lions win the division, they will be guaranteed at least one home playoff game.
Next year, the Lions are scheduled to have nine home games as part of the league’s unblanced schedule, but they expect to play one of those games internationally.
The league requires teams to play internationally at least once every eight years. The Lions have not played overseas since 2015, when they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in London, but were scheduled to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in 2020, when international games were cancelled due to COVID-19.
The Lions currently have marketing rights in Germany, Brazil, Canada, Austria and Switzerland as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program. This year, the league played international games in Germany, Brazil, Ireland, Spain and England. Next year, the league will add games in Austrailia and possibly France.
The Lions’ home schedule for 2026 includes games against the Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and teams from the AFC South and NFC East that finish in the same place as the Lions in the standings.
They play the Packers, Bears, Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and an NFC West team on the road.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions to keep ticket prices flat for 2026, expect to play overseas game
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
