VOA文化艺术2024--It Has Never Been More Costly to See the Super Bowl

It Has Never Been More Costly¹ to See the Super Bowl

　　Tickets for the American football Super Bowl game are among the hardest to get in all of sports. Because of that, some websites that buy and re-sell tickets have set prices for the upcoming game in Las Vegas, Nevada at almost $10,000.

　　The National Football League championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is on Sunday, February 11.

　　The Chiefs won last year's Super Bowl. They feature star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the boyfriend of singer Taylor Swift. Many people believe Swift will fly to the game after performing in Japan only one day earlier.

　　The 49ers are one of the most popular teams in the western part of the U.S. Las Vegas is a busy, tourist city known for its hotels and casinos. It is the first-ever Super Bowl in Las Vegas. For many years, the league did not want to have games in Las Vegas because the city permits sports gambling². That changed when the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas to play in a new stadium before the 2020 season.

　　The combination of two well-known teams plus a city that many people like to visit means tickets on a website called TickPick are in high demand. They are re-selling for almost double last year's cost. The Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl last year near Phoenix³, Arizona.

　　Before this year, the Super Bowl with the highest re-sale ticket price was in 2021 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs in Tampa, Florida. That year, however, tickets were limited because of restrictions⁴ connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

　　TickPick said the highest prices for a non-COVID Super Bowl came in 2020 when the Chiefs and 49ers played in Miami, Florida. The average ticket that year was over $6,000. TickPick, however, noted⁵ that prices for this year might go down as the game gets closer.

　　Brett Goldberg is the co-CEO for TickPick. In a message to the Associated Press, he wrote: "Location has always impacted demand for a Super Bowl, but Vegas takes things to a whole other level." He said Las Vegas is already "the entertainment capital of the world."

　　Sometimes, Goldberg wrote, two successful teams push down demand, because the average fan is tired of seeing them play again. However, he noted prices are high this year because "fans want to experience their team winning a Super Bowl in Vegas."

　　StubHub is another ticket-selling website. Prices on that site were over $9,000. StubHub said tickets are selling faster this year than in recent years.

　　"The demand has far surpassed⁶ the last time Kansas City and San Francisco met in Miami," said a spokesperson from StubHub.

　　Words in This Story

　　ticket –n. a piece of paper or digital proof that gives the holder⁷ the right to see an event or performance

　　tourist –n. a person who travels for pleasure and not business

　　casino –n. a place where people play games of chance in an effort to win money

　　location –n. the place where something is

　　impacted –adj. affected⁸ or influenced

　　entertainment –n. the industry aimed at providing performances, activities and services to give people pleasure

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

3 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 surpassed   

v.超过( surpass的过去式和过去分词 )；优于；多于；非…所能办到

参考例句：

• This realization of our dreams surpassed even our wildest expectations. 我们梦想的实现甚至超越了我们最大胆的估计。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mao's fame surpassed well beyond the limits of China. 毛泽东的名声远远超越了中国国界。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。