The Cost of Thanksgiving Football: Ranking the 2026 NFL Turkey Day Games

By Bill Speros

May 21st, 2026 1:58 PM EDT

Thanksgiving means three things: Turkey. Football. And more football. And the cost of Thanksgiving Football across the NFL is higher than ever in 2026.

The NFL serves three games on the Thursday holiday for you to wager on at the best sports betting apps. None of these games come cheap for fans who wish to attend.

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys occupy their traditional spots during the afternoon.

This year, the Chicago Bears visit the Lions at 12:30 p.m. ET (FOX). The Cowboys then play host to their long-time rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, at 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX). The NFL's Thanksgiving nightcap has the Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Buffalo Bills at the new version of Highmark Stadium. The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

The cost of Thanksgiving Football for a family of four to attend each game looks more like a mortgage payment than visit to a football game. The three games average cost to attend comes out to: $3,349.62.

The Lions first played on Thanksgiving in 1934. Save for a break during World War II (1942-45), the Lions have played on the holiday ever since. They were joined by the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 1966. The Cowboys have occupied the late afternoon Thanksgiving Day spot every year since, save for 1975 and '77.

The NFL added a nightcap in 2006.

The Cost of Thanksgiving Football – Game Breadown

Here' is our full breakdown of the cost to attend each of the NFL's three Thanksgiving Day games in 2026. You might want to smuggle in your own Turducken:

Methodology: Bookies.com developed a 2026 NFL Thanksgiving Game Cost Study: 4 tickets, parking, 4 hot dogs, 2 16oz beers, and 2 20oz sodas. Ticket figures use average price (TicketClub median listing prices) rather than cheapest-available. Parking and concession figures sourced from team-operated lots and Bookies.com 2025 study data, with Buffalo uprated to reflect the new Highmark Stadium's confirmed premium pricing.

Bills New Stadium, Mahomes-Allen Rematch Drive Prices

Tickets for each of the Bills’ games this season have been abnormally high thanks to the debut of the new Highmark Stadium. The 11th Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen rematch also pushes prices into the stratosphere. Their combined record is 5-5. Allen holds a 5-1 advantage in the regular season, BUT Mahomes holds the all-important 4-0 edge in the postseason.

The other two games offer historic divisional matchups. The Bears and Lions have played 192 times entering this season. The teams have played each year since 1930 but have never met in the playoffs. Chicago holds the 105-82-5 edge.

The Eagles and Cowboys have met 134 times, including the postseason, with Dallas holding a 75-58 edge.

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