'Taking the mickey': Enormous queues as pre-sale tickets for NFL game in Melbourne lead to chaos
Trying to secure a ticket to September's first ever NFL game in Australia is going to be a scrap, with 90,000 fans attempting to squeeze in via the first pre-sale event on Wednesday.
Tickets won't open to the general public until April 8, but early demand shows the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will certainly have its 100,000 seats filled on Friday September 11 when the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers roll into town.
Fans have already expressed their frustrations on social media, given not only the struggle for tickets, but the cost of a ticket.
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Nearly 90,000 people in the queue for pre-sale tickets to the NFL game. Supplied
One fan posted on X that the NFL was "taking the mickey" with level one seats costing as much as $780.
Another revealed the last row of the MCG on level four will set you back $450, posting "omfg how could these Americans do this to us with these ticket prices".
An AFL dining room buffet package via the Amex pre-sale costs $2,250 per ticket.
According to NFL Australia, over 150,000 fans registered interest in purchasing tickets as of the middle of March.
And that played out immediately during the first pre-sale for tickets, with 90,000 fans in the queue, seven days out from the general public sale. The pre-sale was almost entirely sold out before 10.30am AEDT on Wednesday, with only premium tickets remaining.
Fancy an expensive buffet at the game? Supplied
Despite the game taking place on a Friday morning, and not on a weekend or a public holiday, the MCG will certainly have no trouble filling to capacity, assuming pricing doesn't scare off fans.
A separate pre-sale for Rams fans also took place on Wednesday.
While the game has created an enormous buzz in Australia, it's fair to say the teams themselves aren't particularly keen on playing on the other side of the world.
A 16-hour flight and the jetlag that comes with that has not won over 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who panned the the Australia game in a recent interview.
"I don't see any pro (to the game)," Shanahan said in regards to his team.
"It's cool for the league to play globally. I think that's awesome. But as far as the team doing it, no, there's not much benefit to it. Sometimes it's nice to get a bye week after but doesn't happen in week one."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Getty
San Francisco have stated they made arrive in Australia early to help manage the trip logistically.
Team general manager John Lynch was more diplomatic about the upcoming Melbourne trip.
"It's kind of like there's a price to being a high-profile team with a lot of stars. The league wants us on prime time. They want to put us in situations. What I've learned, you have to advocate. I certainly do for our guys, but at some point, these are the cards you're dealt. Let's make it the best we possibly can," he said.
When contacted by Wide World of Sports, the MCC confirmed that all ticketing was being handled by the NFL for the game.
NFL Australia provided Wide World of Sports with the following statement after the pre-sale.
"Ticket pre-sales for both Amex and MCC have gone extremely well today, with high demand across both," a spokesperson said.
"We're looking forward to seeing the high level of interest continue into next week when general access tickets and corporate hospitality go on sale."
