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⏱️ Read time: 7 minutes | Updated: November 2026
Buying NFL tickets is straightforward once you know which route suits the game you want.
The more difficult decision is when to buy, whether to use primary or resale tickets, and how much flexibility you are willing to accept.
For most supporters, our starting recommendation is simple:
Check the official NFL or team ticket route first. If the seats or price do not work for you, compare verified resale inventory before looking elsewhere.
If you are travelling from the UK, certainty matters more. Saving $30 by waiting until the final day is rarely worthwhile if you have already committed hundreds of pounds to flights and accommodation.
You can browse games for all 32 teams through our NFL Tickets hub.
📖 In This Guide
- Where should you buy NFL tickets?
- Official vs resale NFL tickets
- How to buy NFL tickets step by step
- Buying NFL tickets from the UK
- Late-season NFL games
- Should you wait until the last minute?
- How mobile NFL tickets work
- What does verified resale mean?
- How not to buy NFL tickets
- Check resale rules before buying
- Best way to buy NFL tickets
- NFL ticket buying FAQs
Where Should You Buy NFL Tickets?
The safest starting point is the NFL or the individual team’s official ticket page.
NFL ticketing is not handled by one identical system across every team. Official NFL ticket routes can direct buyers to authorised providers including Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and SI Tickets.
That makes the team’s own website or the NFL ticketing route a better starting point than simply searching Google for a marketplace.
From there, you may see:
Primary tickets — inventory being sold directly through the authorised ticketing system.
Verified resale tickets — tickets originally bought by another fan and subsequently relisted.
For some games you will see both on the same seat map.
Our recommendation
If primary tickets are available in a section and price range you are happy with, there is usually little reason to complicate the purchase.
If primary availability is poor, resale becomes much more useful.
The mistake is assuming that one route is always cheaper.
It isn’t.
Official vs Resale NFL Tickets: Which Should You Choose?
The answer depends on the game.
Choose primary tickets when:
There is good official inventory, you are happy with the available seats and the total price is competitive.
Primary inventory is particularly attractive when you are buying soon after tickets are released and still have a reasonable choice of seating.
Choose verified resale when:
The original inventory is limited, your preferred section is unavailable, or you are comparing tickets closer to matchday.
Resale can also be cheaper than primary inventory when demand is weak and existing ticket holders simply want to recover some of their money.
Don’t assume resale means expensive
This is one of the most common misconceptions.
For a high-demand rivalry or playoff-relevant game, resale can be substantially above the original ticket price.
For a lower-demand game, it can fall below it.
The right comparison is therefore:
same game + similar seat + total price
rather than simply primary versus resale.
For a deeper look at what drives those differences, see our NFL Ticket Prices guide.
How to Buy NFL Tickets Step by Step
1. Choose the game before choosing the ticket platform
Start with the team’s schedule.
If you have flexibility, compare several home and away games rather than immediately committing to one fixture.
A less glamorous opponent can produce much better ticket availability without materially changing the matchday experience.
2. Check the official team or NFL route
This establishes the authorised ticketing provider for that game and gives you a reliable benchmark for available inventory.
3. Compare primary and verified resale seats
Do not simply sort by the lowest headline price.
Look at the section, row, number of seats together and whether the listing has any restrictions.
A $90 seat in an awkward location is not necessarily better value than a $120 seat with a significantly better view.
4. Compare the total price
Use the final displayed ticket cost rather than mentally adding fees later.
US ticketing platforms now commonly show mandatory fees upfront before applicable taxes, making comparisons easier than they once were.
5. Check how the ticket will be delivered
NFL tickets are predominantly mobile.
Know which account or app will hold the ticket and make sure you can access it before travelling to the stadium.
6. Only then commit to the wider trip
For UK travellers, the ticket should be considered alongside flights, hotels and the NFL’s ability to change late-season kickoff windows.
A cheap ticket is no bargain if changing travel arrangements later costs hundreds of pounds.
Buying NFL Tickets from the UK
UK supporters have one additional consideration that domestic buyers often do not: the ticket is usually the cheapest part of the trip.
That changes the buying decision.
If you have already booked:
£600 flights,
three nights in a hotel,
local transport,
and time off work,
waiting until Sunday morning in the hope that a $180 ticket becomes $140 is not an especially attractive risk.
For a UK trip, we favour certainty
If the game is the main reason for travelling and you find a seat you are comfortable paying for, securing it earlier is usually the more sensible choice.
That does not mean buying the first ticket you see.
It means comparing properly and then recognising when the potential saving from waiting has become small relative to the total cost of the trip.
Be Careful with Late-Season NFL Games
This matters particularly for UK fans.
NFL kickoff times are not completely fixed throughout the season.
The league uses flexible scheduling to move selected games into or out of Sunday, Monday and Thursday primetime windows.
During the later part of the season, a Sunday afternoon game can therefore move to a different kickoff time — or, in some circumstances, a different day.
Week 18 is even less predictable because its final schedule is only confirmed after Week 17.
What this means in practice
For an early-season game, a tight weekend itinerary is generally easier to plan.
For a December or January game, we would leave more flexibility around flights and accommodation.
Do not plan an international trip that only works if a late-season NFL game remains at its originally listed Sunday afternoon time.
The ticket remains valid if the game is rescheduled, but your airline booking may not be nearly as accommodating.
Should You Wait Until the Last Minute?
Sometimes.
But only if the consequences of missing out are acceptable.
Waiting can make sense when:
you are already in the city,
you are flexible about where you sit,
there is plenty of resale inventory,
or you would simply skip the game if prices remain too high.
Waiting makes less sense when:
you are travelling specifically for the game,
you need several seats together,
the opponent is particularly desirable,
inventory is already limited,
or the game has major playoff implications.
There is no prize for buying at the absolute bottom of the market.
For an international visitor, a good ticket at a price you are comfortable with is usually more valuable than winning a last-minute pricing gamble.
How Mobile NFL Tickets Work
NFL tickets are now overwhelmingly digital.
For Ticketmaster-issued NFL tickets, screenshots and printed copies are not accepted for stadium entry.
The ticket barcode can refresh for security purposes, which is why taking a screenshot is not an effective backup.
Before leaving for the stadium:
open the ticket in the appropriate app,
make sure you are signed into the correct account,
and add the ticket to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet where available.
This is particularly useful at large NFL stadiums where mobile reception can become congested as tens of thousands of people arrive.
If somebody else in your group is entering separately, transfer their ticket properly rather than sending them a screenshot.
What Does Verified Resale Actually Mean?
A verified resale ticket has been authenticated through the ticketing platform rather than simply being a screenshot, PDF or promise from an unknown seller.
On Ticketmaster’s NFL Ticket Exchange, for example, a resale purchase results in a newly issued valid ticket and the previous ticket is invalidated.
That substantially reduces the risk associated with buying from an unknown individual.
This is why we would distinguish between:
verified resale through an established marketplace
and
sending money directly to somebody claiming to have a ticket.
Those are not equivalent transactions.
For a supporter travelling internationally, buyer protection should carry real value.
Avoid Buying NFL Tickets This Way
We would be extremely cautious about buying through unsolicited social-media messages, marketplace listings or private sellers where there is no meaningful buyer protection.
A screenshot of a mobile NFL ticket is not proof that you will be able to enter the stadium.
Even a genuine-looking ticket can potentially have been transferred, cancelled or sold elsewhere.
The small potential saving is rarely worth that risk when the entire purpose of your trip is to attend the game.
Check the Resale Rules Before Assuming You Can Sell the Ticket Later
This is particularly relevant to UK buyers.
It is easy to think:
“I’ll buy now and just resell the ticket if my plans change.”
That may not be as simple as it sounds.
Platforms have their own seller eligibility and payment rules. For example, Ticketmaster currently states that sellers of tickets for US events require a US bank account and validated seller tax information before receiving resale payouts.
If the ability to resell is important to your decision, check the platform’s current seller requirements before buying, not after your plans change.
Best Way to Buy NFL Tickets: Our Verdict
For most supporters, we would use this order:
1. Start with the official team or NFL ticket route.
2. Compare primary and verified resale inventory for the same game.
3. Compare seats and total prices rather than simply choosing the cheapest listing.
4. If travelling from the UK, prioritise certainty once the price is acceptable.
5. Be more cautious with late-season travel because NFL kickoff schedules can change.
6. Use verified ticketing platforms rather than private sellers when the trip depends on getting into the stadium.
There will always be somebody who bought their ticket cheaper the morning of the game.
There will also always be somebody who waited and watched prices rise.
The right purchase is the one that balances price, seat quality and risk for your trip.
How to Buy NFL Tickets FAQs
What is the safest place to buy NFL tickets?
Start with the NFL or the relevant team’s official ticket page. This will direct you towards the authorised ticketing arrangements for that game.
Is Ticketmaster official for NFL tickets?
Ticketmaster is the Official Ticket Marketplace of the NFL. NFL ticket routes can also involve other trusted ticketing providers depending on the team and event.
Are resale NFL tickets safe?
Verified resale tickets bought through established ticketing platforms provide substantially more protection than buying directly from an unknown seller.
Are resale NFL tickets always more expensive?
No. Resale prices respond to demand and can be above or below the original ticket price.
Should I buy NFL tickets before booking flights?
If attending the game is the main purpose of your trip, we would normally want the ticket secured before committing to expensive non-refundable travel, while still allowing for possible schedule changes.
Can NFL game times change after I buy tickets?
Yes. The NFL uses flexible scheduling during parts of the season, and some late-season dates and kickoff times can change.
Can I use a screenshot of an NFL ticket?
Do not rely on one. Mobile NFL ticketing can use refreshing barcodes, and Ticketmaster states that screenshots are not accepted for NFL entry.
Should I buy NFL tickets at the last minute?
It can work for flexible local buyers, but we would be more cautious if you are travelling from the UK specifically to attend the game.
Find NFL Tickets
The best NFL ticket-buying strategy is not about finding one website that is always cheapest.
It is about choosing the right game, comparing authorised and verified options, understanding the seat you are buying and deciding how much uncertainty you are prepared to accept.
Browse tickets for all 32 NFL teams and start comparing games.