Game On, Prices Up: The Rising Cost of Fall Game Day

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — From the Knicks season start and Jets/Giants Sundays to Rangers-Islanders hockey, New Yorkers are entering one of the busiest stretches of the sports calendar. But this year, fans face a new, unwelcome tradition: rising costs for tailgate snacks and game day groceries, and increasingly expensive gear and streaming services. 

Costly tariffs are making food and sports equipment cost more, the Iran War is raising gas and diesel prices, and huge tax breaks in the Republican Tax Law for corporations are increasing streaming costs. Congressman Mike Lawler supported the Republican Tax Law and voted to continue the war and keep tariffs on Canada. 

Here’s a look at how tariffs, inflation, the war with Iran, and tax breaks for big corporations are impacting New Yorkers: 

• The price of a pound of ground beef is up 14.8%, and hamburger buns are up 8.8% from last year. Other game-day foods, including beer, condiments, and chips, are also costing more. 

• The price of propane tanks, which many grills use, has increased because of tariffs, and prices are up 11% since the start of the war with Iran. 

• Major corporations with exclusive streaming rights for NFL games are benefiting from massive tax breaks while raising costs for everyone. 

• 50% tariffs on many Canadian goods could increase the cost of hockey equipment like sticks and skates for families.

“So many families in the Hudson Valley are struggling to keep up with rising costs of groceries, gas, and healthcare, including my own. Now, I love the Giants as much as the next, but being a sports fan, or having much of any fun these days, is too expensive,” said Paul from Suffern. “From hot dogs and hamburgers to buns and condiments, we can’t afford game day staples, let alone our other everyday essentials.”

Simply put, New York families cannot afford to enjoy game day like they used to. To learn more about the work of Empire State Voices and speak with impacted New Yorkers, contact press@empirestatevoices.org. 

###
Empire State Voices is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. We are fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same. To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org