The sports fan’s guide to beating stadium food prices

For this week’s Top Story, we’re looking at ways to save when buying food at the big game.

When FIFA announced that fans would not be allowed to bring reusable water bottles into World Cup stadiums this summer, the backlash was immediate. Critics argued the policy would force supporters to buy expensive drinks inside venues, raising concerns about affordability and hydration during a tournament expected to feature extreme heat in some host cities.

---

From our sponsor

---

FIFA eventually reversed course, allowing fans in Canada and the United States to bring one factory-sealed disposable water bottle into matches. But the controversy highlighted a broader reality of modern sports: the price of attending a game rarely ends with the ticket.

A venue ticket is a fraction of the cost

From hot dogs and popcorn to beer and soft drinks, concession costs can quickly turn an affordable outing into an expensive one.

Even popular promotions like loonie dog night can be deceiving. Like the name implies, hot dogs at Blue Jays games cost just $1 during the promotion. In reality, dollar dogs, and similar promotions at stadiums across Canada, can add up quickly, as small portions and tempting add-ons turn a cheap meal into a surprisingly expensive one. And it’s become an all-you-can-eat contest, really.

Lifelong Blue Jays fan Monica Fard says that at the last loonie dog night she attended, the hot dogs were just the beginning. “Then we got drinks and french fries. We got popcorn. That came to more than the cost of the price of the ticket that night.” (Read more: How much Jays ticket prices have changed over the years.)

Across Canada, the cost of food and drinks at sporting events has become a growing source of sticker shock, with fans routinely paying restaurant-level prices for stadium-level grub. While teams compete to maximize revenue, the true cost of attending a game increasingly extends well beyond admission.

But there are ways to keep the bill from spiralling. Here’s a look at the strategies seasoned sports-goers use to cut concession costs without sacrificing the game-day experience.

Create a snackle box 

Many sporting venues have a strict policy about outside food—but not all. Viral videos of Canadian comedian Jacob Balshin bringing a sheet cake and a sushi platter (yes, that’s him above) through security at a Jays game prove it’s possible to get creative with game-day meals. 

And 42-year-old Fard says, “I’ve been attending Jays games since I was a kid, and we always brought food in. We’d bring cookies or snacks.” She’s continued the tradition with her 13-year-old daughter. They recently participated in a viral trend called a “snackle box,” where fans buy a plastic container with multiple compartments (similar to a tackle box) and fill it with game-day treats, bought at grocery store prices. 

“My daughter likes her snacks. This was a way we could combine all of our favourites together. We just put everything in there and we’re set,” she says.

Perhaps even cheaper than your local grocer, one particularly Canadian deal that social media users have found is filling up their snackle boxes at bulk food stores. Bulk Barn, for example, offers 15% off on Sundays for shoppers who bring their own reusable containers.

“It’s fun to bring in your own snacks that you can’t find at the game, or if you do find them, they’re like triple the price,” Fard says. 

Many sports teams strategically lean into having a relaxed outside-food policy. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are one example. Fans attending games at Mosaic Stadium are allowed to bring in personal snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, a policy the team says is designed to make attending games more affordable, particularly for families.

“Affordability is a critical thing we monitor,” says Roughriders chief financial officer Kent Paul. “We’re selling entertainment. It’s disposable income that absorbs that cost. We’re not selling mortgages. We’re not selling gas.”

Paul says the club understands the financial pressures many households face and wants to give fans options, whether that means bringing snacks for young children, accommodating dietary restrictions, or supplementing concession items with food from home.

The policy has had an unexpected side effect, too. According to Paul, some groups of season-ticket holders have turned game-day snacks into a communal tradition with fans contributing homemade treats to share with people in their section they’ve come to know after years of sitting together with their season’s tickets.

“It’s kind of great when you hear that kind of stuff,” Paul says. “It takes it from just an individual experience into a bit of a family or a friend get-together.”

Which stadiums allow outside food across Canada?

Before you head to a game or concert, check out the outside-food policies of Canada’s biggest venues. Many of the venues that don’t allow outside food or beverages will make exceptions to accommodate medical, dietary, or religious needs—and for baby food—but you usually need to arrange this in advance. Check with the venue’s guest services department.   

The savings are in the details

If buying food at the venue is an inseparable part of the game-day experience for you, or you’re attending an event where outside snacks aren’t permitted, you can still save at the till. 

If you’re a season ticket holder, be sure to check for any exclusive discounts. Most teams offer concession perks. For example, the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders give season ticket holders 30% off select concession items in the first hour gates are open, in addition to 10% off food and beverage throughout the game. 

If you’re buying a single-game ticket, look for bundled packages that combine admission and food into one purchase. This is becoming increasingly popular at sporting venues in the United States. 

Some Canadian teams are leaning into this trend, too. For example, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL offer a ticket deal that includes two adult and two child tickets along with four soft drinks, hot dogs and bags of chips. 

Alternatively, some teams have negotiated deals to offer patrons discounts for using specific credit cards or apps. For example, Maple Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC fans receive 10% off mobile orders—excluding alcohol—purchased with a Mastercard. 

These types of deals can change regularly, so it’s best to scour the team’s website or social media before game day to budget. 

Stretching the fun budget

The rising cost of food at sporting events isn’t likely to flatten anytime soon. For many attendees, the goal isn’t necessarily to spend nothing at the concession stand. It’s to make the overall cost of attending sports feel manageable. For fans looking to stretch their entertainment budget, a little planning can go a long way.

“We save a lot of money bringing our own snacks; then we can use that money to go to another game,” says Fard.

Read more from this issue of The Get:

1. How death and grief can affect your finances 
2. Ever played LUG Sports? Find out about its CEO, Ethan Wright
3. Buyer or seller: How to make deals at garage sales
4. Can someone buy a house on a limited pension?