Just how excited are Bills fans for the game in London? Well, some fans who had pre-registered were shocked when they logged in before 7 a.m. ET Thursday
when sales opened and got messages that said they were No. 326,410 in the queue for tickets with a wait of more than an hour or No. 391,093. Or worse.
While pre-registration was required, the rules said that the spots in the line would be randomly assigned when the tickets went on sale.
That left many who waited for hours before the on-sale time frustrated. Within an hour, only single tickets remained. The Bills face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 8 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Others expressed dismay that tickets were available on resale sites at huge increases shortly after they went on sale, though NFL UK cautioned,
"We’ve noticed tickets for sale on secondary ticket websites. Ticketmaster, On Location & Sportsbreaks are the only authorised ticket sellers for the 2023 NFL London Games.
Ticketmaster Exchange is the only authorised resale site. Purchasing from another source is not recommended."
"It’s a very frustrating process as it isn’t tailored to Bills fans," Robert Silva, a longtime Bills fan from Sweden, told The News.
"It’s a system that allows for bots to register, and real fans like me don’t get a chance to get tickets. Tickets will be available afterwards at reselling website for absurd prices.
"This is supposed to be a home game and they should have invested in having Bills fans there. I traveled to Buffalo a few times to see my Bills,
but unfortunately it looks like I won’t be able to see them in London just two hours away from my home country Sweden. Larry May a Bills fan who lives outside Atlanta was No. 301,516 at 7:20 a.m. ET.
May said he had secured a premium seat during the sale in May for the game. Premium tickets started at about $365 and include access to a lounge area and food and beverage before the game.
Premium seats that cost $700 include a seat near the 50-yard line, alcohol and a three-course meal.
"I got a premium seat during the sale in May for $400," he said. "Just happened to open my email at 6 a.m. this morning and got in the queue."
May, who travels extensively for work, used his hotel and airline points to help minimize the cost of the trip,
but said, "This trip is going to cost most people $15 thousand to $20 thousand dollars. This isn't like going to Miami... or KC."
Three hours later, May's number came up, but the Bills game was sold out. Seats remain for Baltimore vs. Tennessee.
Season ticket holder Alyssa O'Reilly said she did not get a notice about the premium sale and logged in aiming to get tickets Thursday. She started at 259,092 and was at 98,382 an hour later.
"It's insane," said O'Reilly aka @BillsMafiaGirl on Twitter. "Some Bills fans already got tickets and are buying more to sell for huge prices."
She had not bought any tickets on the secondary market but said she expected four seats to cost at least $2,500.