Cincinnati Bengals · Paycor Stadium · Cincinnati
Three home dates before mid-November. Five after — including every division game and a New Year’s Eve stage.
The Bengals are in the Joe Burrow era, which has reset what Cincinnati ticket inventory is worth — Paycor Stadium went from bottom-third AFC demand through the mid-2010s to top-tier AFC pricing following the 2021 Super Bowl LVI run. The venue rebranded from Paul Brown Stadium to Paycor Stadium in 2022 under a naming rights deal. First regular-season sale is commission-free for new season ticket holders.
The Bengals ticket market in 2026
Paycor Stadium is 65,515 seats on the Ohio River waterfront in downtown Cincinnati, adjacent to Great American Ball Park (Reds). The venue’s downtown location plus the Over-the-Rhine restaurant and entertainment corridor make this one of the more walkable NFL game-day environments. For holders of Bengals inventory, the 2026 pricing environment is post-Super-Bowl-run: the dynasty premium has normalized, but the divisional premium curve against the Ravens, Steelers, and Browns remains elevated meaningfully above mid-2010s levels. And in 2026 that divisional curve is entirely back-loaded: all three division home dates land Nov. 15 or later — Steelers Nov. 15, Ravens on New Year’s Eve in prime time, Browns in the Week 18 finale — with a Chiefs visit (Dec. 13) in between.
The premium windows we watch for Bengals consignors in the 2026 season:
vs. Ravens — division home date. The Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson matchup has become the AFC North’s marquee young-QB rivalry. Baltimore fans travel in moderate numbers. Premium 100-level seats trade at 2-2.5x face on Ravens home dates — and the 2026 edition is a New Year’s Eve Thursday-night game, the rivalry’s biggest regular-season stage yet at Paycor.
vs. Steelers — division home matchup. One of the NFL’s most historic rivalries. Pittsburgh fans drive I-71 in significant numbers, and the game is almost always nationally televised. Divisional premium is 50-65% above non-divisional dates; the 2026 date lands Nov. 15.
vs. Browns — division home date. The all-Ohio rivalry. Cleveland fans drive I-71 in moderate numbers. Divisional premium is 35-50% above non-divisional dates — and the 2026 date is the Week 18 season finale, priced on stakes.
Any prime-time home window (SNF/MNF/TNF). The Bengals have earned more prime-time home dates since the Burrow era began than in the previous 15 years combined. Prime-time premium is 25-45% above comparable 1 PM Sundays.
Any home playoff game. The Bengals’ 2021 playoff run (reached Super Bowl LVI) and 2022 AFC Championship appearance established the current premium-date pricing ceiling. Home playoff inventory at Paycor Stadium prices at scarcity-premium levels given the rarity of postseason appearances prior to the Burrow era.
Paycor Stadium’s premium tier — the Stripe Zone, the Bengals Pro Shop Club, and the suite level — draws corporate entertainment from Cincinnati’s Procter & Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, Kroger, and broader Queen City corporate base. The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tri-state region provides a regional buyer pool that extends beyond the immediate Cincinnati metro.
Inside Paycor Stadium
Paycor Stadium opened August 19, 2000, as Paul Brown Stadium (named for the Bengals’ founder and legendary coach) and was renamed Paycor Stadium in 2022 under a 16-year, $135 million naming rights agreement with Paycor Software. Capacity is 65,515 for football. The stadium is on the Ohio River waterfront, directly adjacent to Great American Ball Park. The 2022-25 phased renovation modernized the concourses, upgraded video boards, expanded premium-tier amenities, and added the ‘Stripe Zone’ premium end-zone section. The venue has hosted multiple NCAA Tournament and NCAA soccer events, as well as FC Cincinnati (MLS) home games before the team’s 2021 move to TQL Stadium.
The 2022 rebrand and the 2022-25 renovation cycle
The rebrand from Paul Brown Stadium to Paycor Stadium in 2022 coincided with the start of a phased renovation program aimed at modernizing the 2000-vintage building. The renovation has upgraded video boards, widened concourses, expanded the club levels, and added the ‘Stripe Zone’ premium end-zone section where the Bengals mascot leads fan activities. For ticket holders, the practical effect has been a consistent upgrade in the home-game experience — premium-tier pricing on post-renovation dates has trended 10-15% above pre-renovation comps, and the Stripe Zone has become a genuinely distinct premium product.
The Stripe Zone, Pro Shop Club, and Queen City corporate demand
Paycor Stadium’s premium tier includes the Stripe Zone (end-zone premium with event-space configuration), the Bengals Pro Shop Club (club-level, all-inclusive), the East and West Club levels, and approximately 114 suites. Cincinnati’s corporate-entertainment base — Procter & Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, Kroger, GE Aviation — anchors this inventory. Single-game premium-date resale on Steelers, Ravens, and prime-time games has meaningful room above face, particularly since corporate ownership is stable and inventory often reaches marketplaces late in the listing window.
Getting there on game day
Paycor Stadium is on the Ohio River waterfront in downtown Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar runs adjacent on Second Street. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is 20 minutes across the river in Kentucky. On-site and adjacent downtown parking ranges $20-50. The Banks entertainment district (bars, restaurants) is directly adjacent to the stadium and is a genuine pregame destination. Walking access from downtown hotels is 10-15 minutes. We mention the Banks corridor in premium-date listings for visiting fans.
History that still drives Bengals ticket demand
The Bengals franchise was founded in 1968 by Paul Brown (the legendary Cleveland Browns founder who was fired from his own team). Three Super Bowl appearances (XVI in 1982 vs. 49ers, XXIII in 1989 vs. 49ers, LVI in 2022 vs. Rams) — zero championships. The Ken Anderson / Cris Collinsworth era produced the first two Super Bowl runs. The Boomer Esiason era extended playoff relevance through the late 1980s. A long rebuild window followed through the 1990s and early 2000s. The Marvin Lewis era (2003-2018) produced consistent regular-season success but no playoff wins. The Joe Burrow era (2020-present) has been the franchise’s modern peak, including the 2021 Super Bowl LVI appearance.
Paycor Stadium (under both names) has hosted multiple playoff games, the 2021 AFC Championship home win over the Chiefs (en route to Super Bowl LVI), and the 2022 Wild Card home win over the Ravens (Joe Burrow’s first playoff win). The 2021 AFC Championship game — a 27-24 overtime win over Kansas City — remains the venue’s defining playoff moment and the reference point for current playoff-date premium pricing. The building’s pre-Burrow history was largely a story of competitive mediocrity; the post-2020 era has reshaped what Bengals inventory can price against on any given home date.
Beyond football: Paycor Stadium concert and event history
Paycor Stadium has hosted Taylor Swift (Eras Tour), Beyonce, Kenny Chesney (annually on recent tours), Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Luke Bryan, and the Reds crosstown Battle of Ohio preseason events. The acoustic treatment is standard outdoor stadium; lower-bowl sound benefits from the partial overhang of the 200-level on concert-configuration setups. Concert-side pricing here benefits from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tri-state buyer pool and from Cincinnati’s position as a Midwest tour-routing city between Chicago and the East Coast.
Why consign your Bengals tickets with us
We know which Bengals games move and when. Steelers at Paycor is not the same listing problem as a Week 4 non-TV Sunday vs. an NFC West opponent. Premium dates are where Paycor Stadium inventory holders leave the most money on the table — and where our pricing discipline actually returns multiples on what we charge.
You don’t manage buyers, transfers, or delivery issues. We handle the full transaction: multi-marketplace listing, delivery, customer support, dispute handling, and replacement tickets if the primary marketplace cancels a transfer the night of the game. You don’t get a text from a stranger at 6:45 PM on tip-off night.
You get paid Friday after the event. One Friday payout for every game from the prior Sunday through Saturday. No marketplace payout delays, no held funds, no surprise chargebacks.
First regular-season sale is commission-free for new season ticket holders. If this is your first game with us and you’re a Bengals season ticket holder, we take zero commission on your first regular-season listing. The goal is to show you the difference in net payout — then you decide.
Holding Ravens-NYE or late-season Bengals dates you won’t use?
Every divisional home date lands Nov. 15 or later this year, with the Chiefs in between and a New Year’s Eve prime-time headliner. Send your sections and we’ll map the front-half and back-half windows for you.
Full-service consignment vs. listing Bengals tickets yourself
Selling Bengals tickets in the post-Super-Bowl-LVI era is a different pricing environment than the pre-Burrow decade — the demand baseline is elevated, and pricing discipline on divisional premium dates is where value is captured. Here’s an honest comparison:
| List yourself | Consign with us | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing decisions per home game | ~5-15 adjustments you make | We handle all of it |
| Multi-marketplace listing | One at a time, manually | Every major resale marketplace, plus wholesale broker channels and our private buyer list |
| Last-minute transfer issues | You handle buyer calls at tipoff | We handle it, including replacements |
| Payout timing | 7-30 days, varies by marketplace | Friday after the event, PayPal or wire |
| Pricing for Steelers, Ravens, Browns, and prime-time dates | Based on what you see on the marketplace | Based on nearly 20 years of premium-date data |
| Commission | 10-25% marketplace fees (variable by platform and event) | 20% standard (first regular-season sale free for new STHs) |
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FAQs about selling Bengals tickets
How does my section affect what my Bengals tickets sell for?
Paycor Stadium has five main pricing tiers. The Stripe Zone and Pro Shop Club (premium end-zone and club with all-inclusive amenities) are a separate market, often $1,000-2,500 per seat for Steelers, Ravens, and prime-time games. The 100-level sidelines (sections 109-116, 134-141) are the premium bowl. The 200-level club and 300-level mezzanine are mid-tier. The 300-level upper bowl is the volume inventory. Each tier moves on different signals.
My Bengals game got flex-scheduled — what happens to my consigned ticket?
NFL flex scheduling can move a 1 PM Sunday game to Sunday Night Football or the 4:25 PM national window. Tickets remain valid for the new time. Pricing typically moves up 25-45% on a prime-time flex given Burrow’s national audience. We handle buyer communication and re-pricing. Cancellations are extremely rare — when they occur, we refund the buyer and you’re not charged commission.
Should I wait until closer to game day to list my Bengals tickets?
For Steelers, Ravens, prime-time home games, and playoff dates, list early — 90-120 days out captures out-of-town travel buyers from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and the tri-state region plus Cincinnati corporate-entertainment planning. For standard 1 PM Sunday windows, the optimal window is 14-28 days out. We handle per-game timing.
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Send us your Bengals inventory — season package, partial plan, suite, or single premium-date seats. We’ll tell you within 24 hours what we think each date is actually worth, walk you through how we’d list it, and handle every moving part from there. First regular-season sale is commission-free for new season ticket holders.
Get Started →20% standard · First regular-season sale commission-free for new STHs · Nearly 20 years in the ticket market · Paid every Friday