Falcons to Preserve Fan-First Pricing at Super Bowl

No sooner had it been announced that the Atlanta Falcons had scored the rights to Super Bowl LIII that another groundbreaking piece of news was announced. For perhaps the first time since the Clinton administration, fans will be able to enjoy a $5 beer at the biggest event in American sports.

The provision is just one aspect of the “fan-first” menu pricing that will be featured in Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium when it opens in June 2017. The scheme aims to bring that famous brand of southern hospitality to the notoriously stingy world of stadium concessions, ensuring even the most modest fan can enjoy a meal with his family at the game without breaking the bank.

“Those [stadium] concession prices we announced last week? Yeah, they’ll be at Super Bowl LIII,” came the good news from the Falcons’ official Twitter account. Team president Rich McKay called the price cuts an “investment in the fan experience,” following surveys marking food and beverage costs as the worst aspect of the Georgia Dome, now entering its final year as the home of the Falcons.

Just $2 will get you a bottomless drink cup, a bottle of water, a pretzel or popcorn. $3 is good for a bag of peanuts, waffle fries, a slice of pizza or nachos with cheese (the best value on the entire menu, in our glutinous opinion). For an extra dollar you can get an even bigger souvenir cup adorned with the team logo, while $5 gets you the piece de resistance, a well-priced, 12 oz., domestic draft beer.

It’s impressive enough to see such reasonable prices at any new stadium, let alone one set to host the Super Bowl in just over three years. In a world where it’s commonplace to expect the host city to squeeze every penny out of visiting tourists Vegas-style, it is extremely refreshing to see a franchise not only give their fans what they want, but extend that courtesy to the faceless crowd of sensible suits and nondescript observers that will pack the venue on the biggest day in its history.