The New England Patriots are back in the AFC Championship game after seven years, but the Denver Broncos want a sea of orange in their home game. So, while they already hold home-field and elemental advantages for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, they have added another condition to put all the pressure on their opponents.

“Patriots fans are being blocked from buying tickets to the AFC Championship in Denver,” Only In Boston reported on X. “Only Rocky Mountain billing addresses allowed.”

This year, more than 98% of Broncos season ticket holders opted in for playoff tickets, meaning availability for Sunday was scarce to begin with. The remaining inventory of just a few thousand tickets for the 76,125-seating Mile High was nearly sold out within 24 hours. However, none of those could be the Patriots fans, as they received the following error every time they tried to book a ticket:

“Due to limited availability, tickets will be sold only to those with a billing address in the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, and Western Kansas.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the only remaining tickets available on Ticketmaster that didn’t show as resale were in the 300 level and started at $1,240 per seat. Verified resale tickets in the 500s started at about $500 per seat. The lowest single-ticket price on StubHub started at $577. And the team already has a statement ready for the completely legal inconvenience…

“As we’ve done for previous AFC Championship Games, the extremely limited number of single-game tickets on sale for Sunday was restricted to the Rocky Mountain Region to prioritize Broncos fans,” Broncos chief communications officer Patrick Smyth said in a statement provided to The Post on Tuesday.

However, this condition was limited to the ticket sales through the Broncos. The Patriots fans could’ve also bought the tickets from third-party sellers like Ticketmaster, Vivid Seats, StubHub, and SeatGeek. For many, though, the most trusted partner in Ticketmaster also didn’t help.

The Broncos repeat their geofencing tactics despite their advantages

Limiting ticket sales to their own region is not new for the team or Ticketmaster. In fact, the Broncos have practiced this for postseason games since the Broncos’ 2011 AFC Wild Card Game. Interestingly, they’ve opted for these restrictions against the Patriots in 2011, 2013, and 2015 postseason games, with the Super Bowl on the line in the last two.

“I was kind of super panicked. I was kind of taken back because Ticketmaster is always my go-to for tickets. It’s always the most reliable,” said Adhaam Mahmoud, a Patriots fan in Boston. “And I went through and was like, ‘Let me try to buy a pair of tickets quickly before this happens to me,’ and I got the error message that I wouldn’t be allowed to buy tickets.

“But I will say I booked my flight the other day after the Patriots won. I don’t care if I have to watch the game from outside the stadium. I’ll be in Denver.”

While the Patriots fans remain undeterred, the team will have an uphill battle, literally. Mile High is situated at an elevation of 5,280 feet. The Broncos are used to playing there, but the thin air makes breathing a manual chore for visiting athletes. Moreover, it is their home field where they’ve practiced and played throughout the season.

Apparently, many teams use this trick to eliminate the fans of the opposing teams in their home games to gain an additional edge over them. It is also a legal procedure allowed by the league. However, it has left many Patriots fans raging all over social media as well.

Ticketmaster restrictions spark fan outrage over social media, too

Limiting the seats to the Rocky Mountain region residents was not going to be well-received by the Pats fans. After years of waiting for an AFC championship game, New Englanders don’t mind the travel. But even the travel could prove futile if they do not get the seats. As a result, they took the issue to social media.

“a page taken out of the yankees play book!” commented a fan. Last year, during the MLB playoffs, the organizers limited tickets to the Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees game to residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Then, too, residents of the Bay State and New Englanders were restricted from buying tickets to the game. Even if they had bought it, Ticketmaster canceled and refunded them without notice. It was clear that the repeated incidents were now resulting in frustration. Some fans made sure that their voices were heard.

“This cannot stand!!!” wrote a fan.

Patriots fans will be buzzing for this matchup. The last time New England reached the AFC Championship, Tom Brady was still under center, and the clash with the Kansas City Chiefs went all the way into overtime. With that thrilling finish still fresh in memory, the stakes are high, and every question about this season’s showdown feels magnified.

“How is this allowed?” vented out another fan.

While most were busy criticizing the step taken by Ticketmaster, it is indeed a legal way for home teams to restrict fans of the opponent teams. Geofencing, while effective in prioritizing local fans, has sparked debate about fairness and accessibility. However, while the league has strict rules against fake ticket purchases and resales, they allow such restrictions. The Broncos aren’t the only teams, either. However, some were still confident in their win.

“That’s OK…. They’ll hear me from Boston when the Pats win!” wrote another fan.

Well, the Patriots could win, like they did in 2011, even if they have another name under the center. While Denver’s defense ranks eighth in the league, the visitors’ offense is the NFL’s third-best. Moreover, with Denver having to rely on their QB2 for the fixture, many seemed to believe that the Broncos were destined to lose.

“Why would Denver fans want to pay playoff prices to watch their team lose?” another fan commented.

Former Patriots’ QB Jarrett Stidham will start for the Broncos, following Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury against the Bills. Elsewhere, the Patriots are trying to make sure that history does not repeat itself.

A decade ago, both teams faced each other on the same stage. Unfortunately, it was Peyton Manning‘s Broncos who were victorious over Tom Brady‘s Patriots. The Broncos went on to win the Super Bowl that year. Coincidentally, the Super Bowl also took place in San Francisco that year as well.

Patriots fans are fired up despite the ticket restrictions, ready to relive the AFC Championship drama and ensure Denver feels their presence, online or in the stands. It will be interesting to see how the game lines up, and whether the Pats fans can overcome the ticket hurdle to cheer for their team at 3 PM ET on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google