Las Vegas welcomes Raiders with booming ticket sales

The Raiders erased any and all lingering doubts about the viability of Las Vegas as an NFL market with ticket sales that outpaced even the most optimistic projections.

Then came the coronavirus pandemic that affected the entire world and decimated the live-event market.

Raiders owner Mark Davis decided he wasn’t going to pick and choose which of his customers were going to be able to actually attend games in the team’s inaugural season, so he declared the 2020 season would be played with no fans in attendance at Allegiant Stadium.

“The decision ensures fairness to you, our (personal seat license) holders, given the challenges and potential inequities associated with determining who can and cannot attend specific games if the stadium were to operate at a reduced capacity,” Davis wrote in a letter to fans. “While the current situation is not how any of us envisioned celebrating the opening of Allegiant Stadium, when circumstances permit we look forward to sharing an unparalleled GameDay Experience in the Magnificent Stadium you helped to build.”

Money paid for 2020 season tickets was automatically rolled over to pay for the 2021 season, though fans had the option to receive a full refund instead.

All home games for the inaugural season at Allegiant Stadium had been sold out months ahead of the venue’s completion. Those tickets were all the rage on the secondary market. Most of those tickets were snatched up through the purchase of PSLs, which were attached to about 55,000 of the 65,000 seats in the venue. The one-time PSL fees ranged from $500 to $75,000.

The Raiders’ original stadium budget called for the team to raise about $250 million in PSL sales. Instead, they generated close to $550 million. Most of that money was reinvested into the stadium with connectivity, fixture and art upgrades, along with an addition of an end-zone field club.

Seats that didn’t have PSLs attached to them were for suites or retained by the Raiders for internal needs and visiting teams.

The holders of those PSLs own the right to purchase season tickets for that seat each year. A PSL holder can have those rights revoked and sold to someone else if they fail to maintain season tickets.

Fans who missed out can still join a waiting list. Season tickets in the far upper corners of the stadium start at $65 for a 10-game home schedule that includes two preseason contests, which have been eliminated this year because of the pandemic.

Prices go up to $450 per game for the middle section of the lower level between the 45-yard lines.

There are 17 price levels for Raiders tickets, not including the premium seating options.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.