Chicago Bears are least affordable team to watch in NFL, according to study

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A new study found that the Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings are the most affordable teams to watch in the NFL.

The Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints offer some of the most expensive experiences in the league.

The consumer research group ValuePenguin evaluated the cost of tickets, concessions and parking for all 32 NFL teams to understand the affordability of the NFL game experience.

The study based its findings on the average family of 2.58 people, multiplying the average price for tickets in 2016 by three to find the cost for a family to attend a game. The research group added the cost of three hot dogs, two beers and a soda and parking at the stadium to the total cost of attending a game. Those costs were compared to each metro area's median household income. Analysts then divided the annual income by 2,080 or the total hours for working 52 full 40-hour work weeks to find how many hours a person would have to work to afford an NFL experience.

Using that methodology, an Oakland Raiders fan would have to work 7.4 hours to attned a game for a cost of $290.09. Los Angeles Rams fans would have to work 9.4 hours to afford an experience costing $273.88. It takes local fans 10 hours of work to afford a Seattle Seahawks game experience for $338.60.

A game at Soldier field takes 16.3 hours of work and $483.20 for Chicago Bears fans, making ithat experience the most expensive in football. Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints fans can look at working 15.4 hours to attend games at their respective home stadiums.

For comparison sake, the Raiders are by far the best bargain in northern California. It cost almost $160 more to attend a San Francisco 49ers game than to go watch the Raiders. Local fans also have to work four fewer hours to afford the experience.