"Between the sagging economy and all those non-playoff seasons, the Broncos didn't feel they could pass on a ticket increase to their fans.

A playoff appearance this season sparked by quarterback Tim Tebow allowed the Broncos to boost their ticket prices for 2012, if only slightly.

The Broncos' average ticket price at Sports Authority Field at Mile High will increase from $98.14 in 2011 to $98.79 in 2012, or 0.6 percent. It's the Broncos' first ticket increase since 2008.

In comparison, the Detroit Lions recently announced a ticket-price increase of 7.9 percent.

"Considering the exciting season we just had, I think a lot of people would not have been surprised if we were aggressive in ticketing, and we weren't," Mac Freeman, who heads the Broncos' business department, said here Friday. "We understand the economic conditions many of our fans are experiencing, and we're pleased that the increase is under 1 percent.""