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Buffalo Bills fans face price hike thanks to flawed $2.1B stadium Buffalo Bills fans will not only be subjected to obstructed sightlines but also added fees as a result of the new Highmark Stadium being built to replace the longtime home of the team Buffalo Bills fans will not appreciate the upcoming price hikes for the 2026 season. The Bills will be playing at the brand-new Highmark Stadium, which cost more than $2 billion. Despite its cost, it did not leave fans with a good first impression, with many complaints stemming from obstructed views, an unfortunate development considering how expensive tickets to NFL games could be for some. Now, fans will shoulder even more expenses as a result of the new stadium, with supporters paying an additional six percent on a number of purchases as a result of the deal the team made with Erie County for improvements and repairs over the life of the 30-year lease. Called the "Erie County Surcharge," the money will be collected by a third party and deposited into a county-owned account, according to WKBW. Not only will Bills games be affected, but also any events at the new Highmark Stadium will be subject to the surcharge. In a statement to WKBW, a spokesperson clarified what the surcharge would entail. "The surcharge is placed on tickets, concessions, merchandise, and other items purchased at Highmark Stadium," the statement began. "This includes all Buffalo Bills home games as well as other events that will be held at the venue. "That revenue will be used for continuing capital improvements at the new stadium. This was all negotiated as part of the public discussions about the stadium lease that were held by the Erie County Legislature. "The Erie County Comptroller’s Office and the Bills organization are the entities making the decision on how to best document and track all collected surcharge funds, which will be placed in a capital improvement fund to be managed by Empire State Development." This is just the latest in what has been a turbulent rollout of the Highmark Stadium. For the Bills' Return of the Blue & Red practice, disgruntled fans took to social media to highlight how sightlines were blocked off by plexiglass barriers, overhangs, railings and staircases. “Whoever designed the new Bills stadium wasn’t very keen to detail. Imagine paying tens of thousands on PSLs and season tickets and walk into a view like this…,” X user BuffaloWeather wrote, along with four images from obstructed-view seats. Similar posts have garnered more than three million views and hundreds of replies from fans who have experienced similar issues. It must be noted that $850 million of the $2.1 billion was paid by New York State and Buffalo-based taxpayers. The issues had gotten so notorious that Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has suggested the Bills could face legal action from their own fans. "I just feel like the winds of litigation are going to be blowing here. Somebody's going to be suing over this," Florio told his Pro Football Talk co-host, Chris Simms. "Somebody was sold a view that they didn't get. Maybe more than someone. Because who would buy that view? This wasn't some random seat generator; it was all supposedly open and transparent." In response, the Bills released a statement, telling fans: "Thank you to Bills Mafia for setting a new attendance record with more than 50,000 fans at the Return of the Blue & Red. "Saturday's practice was a great opportunity to test the new stadium. We are currently addressing internal and external feedback regarding the facility's operation following the first event. We'll utilize the next six weeks to refine any details as we prepare for the home opener on Thursday, September 17."