Survey says!

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It looks like the Vikings are broaching the very, very touchy subject of personal seat licenses. A story in the Star Tribune says that the team is putting out a survey gaging interest in the practice, which is being used by 17 of the NFL's 32 teams (although the Packers $3,000 fee isn't really a seat license in the traditional term, since it has to be turned back to the team for a refund of the selling price. It's not very personal, as seat licenses go.)

At least one fan in the story objects to the practice, which she says could cost her $10,000 a seat. That's paltry, compared to the big-buck PSL's in Dallas, New York and San Francisco.

As MPR reported last December, these are a near sure-bet in some fashion for the Vikings new stadium. At the time, the NFL was averaging close to $3,000 a seat, and one expert pointed out that the NFL has actually REQUIRED them in the past. Vikings CFO Steve Poppen told the Senate tax committee on December 6th that comparable NFL teams usually draw about $50 million in PSL revenue. Given they're usually in about half a stadium, that would put the bill at about $1,400 each for Vikings seats, on average.

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Here's an interesting story from the San Jose Mercury News that claims the 49ers have sold $310 million in seat licenses for the new stadium they're building in Santa Clara. Some of these are reportedly going for $80,000. Here's a map of the seat license fees the Mercury News published in September: