Super Bowl ticket prices reach new highs

GLENDALE, Ariz., Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Officials at ticket-selling Web sites say the demand for seats at Sunday's Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., is driving prices to record highs.

Tickets to Super Bowl XLII were selling for an average $4,190 apiece at reseller StubHub.com Tuesday, with one club seat listed at $19,446, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Meanwhile, an eBay auction for two tickets to the big game had a top bid of $77,000, and the Web site TicketsNow listed a luxury suite at the game for $224,825.

Officials with the Web sites attributed the record prices to the demand created by the high-profile match-up of the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, two teams with large and dedicated fan bases.

"Had we seen Seattle versus San Diego, for instance, or Seattle versus Jacksonville, you'd have seen a much different pricing dynamic," said StubHub spokesman Sean Pate. "But when you have two marquee teams, from large cities, with national followings, you're going to see something like this."