The NFL decided to cancel the Bills vs Bengals game that was scheduled for January 2, 2023 after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. This led to many questions surrounding what would happen to the thousands of fans who had purchased tickets to the game.
Why was the game cancelled?
In the first quarter of the Bills vs Bengals Monday Night Football game on January 2, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle. He was administered CPR on the field before being transported to the hospital in critical condition. The game was temporarily suspended while Hamlin received medical attention. After consultation with both teams and the NFL, the league ultimately decided to postpone the game due to the traumatic nature of the event. The focus was on supporting the health and wellbeing of the players, especially those on the Bills and Bengals who were visibly distraught by what had happened to their teammate.
What options were considered?
The NFL had several options in terms of rescheduling the game:
- Resume the game on a later date
- Cancel the game entirely
- Forfeit the game, with one team getting a loss and the other a win
- Postpone the game to the postseason bye week before the Super Bowl
After deliberation, the NFL ultimately decided to cancel the game, citing the traumatic emotional toll on the players as the primary factor. Resuming the game days or weeks later was not deemed appropriate given what the players had gone through. The game had no impact on playoff seeding for either team, so declaring a forfeit winner was also ruled out. And postponing until the bye week would have disrupted teams’ preparation during a critical juncture.
How many tickets were sold and what did they cost?
The Bills vs Bengals game was slated to be played at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd. The stadium capacity is around 67,000 seats. Exact ticket sale figures are not publicly released by the NFL or teams, but it is likely that 65,000-67,000 tickets had already been purchased for the game prior to Hamlin’s injury.
Ticket prices on the secondary market reportedly averaged around $238 according to TickPick, with the cheapest tickets going for $88 and most expensive over $400. With approximately 66,000 tickets sold at an average of $238, the total value of all tickets was likely around $15.7 million.
Average Ticket Prices for Bills vs Bengals Game
Average Ticket Price | $238 |
Estimated Tickets Sold | 66,000 |
Total Estimated Value | $15.7 million |
How were ticket holders compensated?
The NFL offered several options for fans who had purchased tickets to the canceled game:
- Full refund – Fans could obtain a full refund for the amount paid on their tickets.
- Credit for a future game – Ticket value could be credited towards purchasing tickets for a Bills or Bengals home game next season.
- Merchandise credit – Receive credit equal to the ticket price that could be used at the NFL Shop.
The team websites and ticket providers like Ticketmaster provided instructions for ticket holders on how to take advantage of these options and process refunds or credits.
Compensation Options for Ticket Holders
Full Refund | Equal to full amount paid for tickets |
Future Game Credit | Full ticket value as credit for 2023 home game tickets |
Merchandise Credit | Equal credit for NFL Shop purchases |
What about other costs incurred by fans?
While refunds helped mitigate the cost of game tickets, many fans still incurred other expenses associated with traveling to Cincinnati for the game. This includes costs like:
- Airfare
- Hotel rooms
- Rental cars
- Parking fees
- Food and beverages
The NFL did not offer compensation for these other costs, which could total hundreds or thousands of dollars for travelers. Fans may have been able to recoup some of these expenses depending on their individual booking policies and travel insurance coverage.
Estimated Additional Costs for Traveling Fans
Average Airfare | $350 roundtrip |
Hotel Room | $200 per night |
Rental Car | $100 for 2 days |
Food & Beverages | $150 for weekend |
Total Additional Costs | $800 per fan |
What was the overall financial impact?
Between reimbursements for tickets and lost concession sales, the canceled game still had a significant financial impact:
- The Bengals and Bills lost out on millions in concession and merchandise sales from the 67,000 fans. This could have totaled $5 million or more in sales.
- Refunds and credits for tickets likely totaled around $15.7 million
- The NFL broadcast partners including ESPN lost the advertising revenue from what would have been a highly viewed Monday Night Football game.
While an exact figure is not known, the total financial loss was estimated to be roughly $20 million or more when factoring in all elements.
How were fans reacting on social media?
On social media, many fans expressed understanding and support for the NFL’s decision to cancel the game in light of the traumatic circumstances. Hamlin’s health and recovery were overwhelmingly the top priority for most fans across both teams.
Of course, there was some frustration and complaints from fans who had been inconvenienced by the cancellation. Having to change travel plans and losing money on costs like airfare left some fans dissatisfied with the outcome.
But these negative reactions were relatively muted compared to the outpouring of emotional support for Hamlin and the players. Overall, the NFL received positive feedback for how they handled communicating the sensitve situation to fans.
Example Fan Reactions on Twitter
Positive Reactions | “Completely support the NFL’s decision here. Some things are bigger than football.” |
“Feel for all the fans whose travel plans are impacted, but absolutely the right call by the NFL prioritizing the players’ mental health.” | |
Negative Reactions | “I’m out over $1,000 in airfare and hotels. The NFL should do more to cover those costs.” |
“Understand the decision but this screwed up my family’s NYE trip. The communication and accommodation process was messy.” |
How could the NFL better handle cancelled games in the future?
While the cancellation was largely well-received, the NFL could establish more defined policies for cancelled or postponed games to better handle communication and reimbursements. A few areas they could improve include:
- Earlier announcements – Give fans as much advance notice as possible if a game is cancelled. This allows more time to adjust travel plans.
- Expanded accommodations – Beyond just tickets, consider partial compensation for expenses like airfare and hotels for travelling fans in extreme circumstances.
- Fan assistance hotline – Provide a dedicated hotline or desk for fans to get quick support with ticket refunds, credits, and reimbursements after a cancellation.
By creating and communicating these defined policies ahead of time, both fans and NFL teams can be better prepared if a rare cancellation again becomes necessary.
Conclusion
The Bills vs Bengals game cancellation was an unprecedented scenario caused by the traumatic injury to Damar Hamlin. The NFL’s priority was rightly focused on supporting the health and wellbeing of the players and teams involved. Their decision to cancel received widespread understanding and support from fans, though many were still financially impacted.
Moving forward, the league has an opportunity to create more formal policies for cancelled game ticketing and travel accommodations. This would better prepare both fans and teams should a similar incident occur again in the future.