CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals' plan for a watch party this Sunday is drawing ire from Hamilton County Commissioners.
Even though the team is on the road in Kansas City this weekend, fans can get a ticket to watch the game inside Paycor Stadium. The party will be held in the CareSource Club, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. ahead of the 4:25 p.m. kickoff time.
Tickets are $99 and include $25 for discounted concessions and $25 for the Pro Shop, the team said. The team announced the watch party as a "one-of-a-kind event" that will include special guests, Bengals mascot Who Dey, the Ben-Gals and more.
The team's website says fans who attend will also be able to walk on the field at Paycor Stadium and enjoy meet-and-greets with legends Jim Breech, Robert Jackson, Louis Breeden and Ira Hillary.
Back in 2022, commissioners tried to arrange an AFC Championship watch party at then-Paul Brown Stadium.
After pitching the idea, the county later said there was not enough time to coordinate the event, but hoped something could be done in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.
Ultimately, in a letter to Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto, stadium managing director Eric Brown said the NFL declined a request for permission to broadcast the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Brown said the decision "is consistent with the NFL's Rules and Policies" for similar events.
Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece on Thursday said the upcoming paid watch party was “a slap in the face of the taxpayers of Hamilton County.”
“Could we really not have a watch party? Or was it because somebody can’t make some money off the watch party?” she asked.
As the Bengals stadium approaches next year, Reece said there needs to be more “respect.”
“Right now, it's a seesaw,” she said. “We are not getting any respect.”
Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas asked for the county to review whether the county was “going to have to foot the bill for this extra staff that's working on a day not normally set for them to work.”
Aluotto said the county found out about the event through media reports on Wednesday and would check on those questions. A county spokesperson on Friday told WCPO they had nothing to share.
WCPO contacted the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday to request an interview about the watch party. We will update this story if we hear back.
