I am referring mainly to the top, most popular clubs in the Premier League.
It seems to me that Season Tickets are something of an anachronism in modern football for these clubs - getting to see every game for a reduced price when you have tens of thousands on various waiting lists.
All the top clubs offer memberships, at varying price tiers, simply allowing you the ability to purchase a ticket in a scrum with tens of thousands of others. Member numbers, whilst in no doubt affected by quality on the pitch, are also hyped/increased by social media presence, globalism and branding. Season ticket numbers, in the main, have stayed stationary with prices creeping ever upwards. As a United fan said to me recently, "it now costs me over £50 a game on my season ticket".
When the Glazers took over United, they are said to have been shocked at how little the average fan spent on matchday, compared to American sport. Why would someone who spends every other Saturday at the ground spend time dining there or spending money in hotels? you turn up, watch the match and go to the pub.
It is this which has sparked a revolution in fan commoditizing, and City are certainly doing very well at it. Who would you prefer, economically; the cheapest season ticket holder who turns up and leaves, or a family/group of mates who go to about 5 games a season and really push the boat out. The average spend per match of these attendees is hugely different, the latter burns through money.
With that money in mind, in our 'experience' culture as people look to own less and 'do more', why would a club hierarchy want supporters spending their hard earned in the Northern Quarter or Soho or Matthews St? You want them at the ground in the affiliated bars and restaurants, staying over in the hotels. Ticket prices reflect a waiting list of 100k, City charging north of £60 for Burnley at home.
It will be interesting to see just how many extra ST holders City add with the North Stand expansion, but my guess is not many at all. In football, the economics of fan spending and matchday income has always lagged strangely behind the success of the TV and sponsorship deals, but this is changing; 10 years ago matchday revenue was about 10% of all Premier League clubs' income, that rose to 14% post pandemic and is set to rise further. Given general turnover is increasing, the average punter is paying out a lot more, and this cannot be generated through small increments to season tickets. I predict ST numbers will begin to decrease, relatively, in a few years time and prices will push right up.
Fans are the lifeblood of football, without them football is nothing. Covid saw a soulless edition of the league system with an ironic twist in that the free to air games hooked more people on to pay-per-view services. But they are also the cash cow, and we're being milked for every penny.
It seems to me that Season Tickets are something of an anachronism in modern football for these clubs - getting to see every game for a reduced price when you have tens of thousands on various waiting lists.
All the top clubs offer memberships, at varying price tiers, simply allowing you the ability to purchase a ticket in a scrum with tens of thousands of others. Member numbers, whilst in no doubt affected by quality on the pitch, are also hyped/increased by social media presence, globalism and branding. Season ticket numbers, in the main, have stayed stationary with prices creeping ever upwards. As a United fan said to me recently, "it now costs me over £50 a game on my season ticket".
| Team | Capacity (approx) | ST holders (est. in 2022) | |
| Manchester City | 53,000 | 36,000 | |
| Manchester United | 74,000 | 53,000 | |
| Arsenal | 60,000 | 45,000 | |
| Liverpool | 54,000 (now 60,000) | 27,000 (now 28,000) | now 1,000 more with expansion |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 62,000 | 45,000 |
When the Glazers took over United, they are said to have been shocked at how little the average fan spent on matchday, compared to American sport. Why would someone who spends every other Saturday at the ground spend time dining there or spending money in hotels? you turn up, watch the match and go to the pub.
It is this which has sparked a revolution in fan commoditizing, and City are certainly doing very well at it. Who would you prefer, economically; the cheapest season ticket holder who turns up and leaves, or a family/group of mates who go to about 5 games a season and really push the boat out. The average spend per match of these attendees is hugely different, the latter burns through money.
With that money in mind, in our 'experience' culture as people look to own less and 'do more', why would a club hierarchy want supporters spending their hard earned in the Northern Quarter or Soho or Matthews St? You want them at the ground in the affiliated bars and restaurants, staying over in the hotels. Ticket prices reflect a waiting list of 100k, City charging north of £60 for Burnley at home.
It will be interesting to see just how many extra ST holders City add with the North Stand expansion, but my guess is not many at all. In football, the economics of fan spending and matchday income has always lagged strangely behind the success of the TV and sponsorship deals, but this is changing; 10 years ago matchday revenue was about 10% of all Premier League clubs' income, that rose to 14% post pandemic and is set to rise further. Given general turnover is increasing, the average punter is paying out a lot more, and this cannot be generated through small increments to season tickets. I predict ST numbers will begin to decrease, relatively, in a few years time and prices will push right up.
Fans are the lifeblood of football, without them football is nothing. Covid saw a soulless edition of the league system with an ironic twist in that the free to air games hooked more people on to pay-per-view services. But they are also the cash cow, and we're being milked for every penny.
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