Are we going to see the end of Season Tickets?

[mexico1970]

I've asked myself this on many occasions :)

Seriously though I fully agree, and regarding what happens if the team stops being successful.

We have been there mate, empathy is rightfully deployed ;)

Their plan is to thin out the teams that can have a chance at the glittery star-studded nights, teams that don't meet that criteria can fuck off and fade away because they are non profitable.

There wont be promotion or relegation it'll rain trophies on the chosen few, delivered by white horses on gilded platforms by pop stars and major A list slebs.

 

[PPT]

Very good post from the OP. If you follow the trajectory then season tickets will almost certainly become a thing of the past. The clubs will issue a few thousand to the ‘Ultras’ to ensure the stadiums have a noise (I won’t call it atmosphere) which is needed for TV and dynamic pricing for each game will become the norm. I’ve threatened to jack in my season ticket for the last 6/7 years but just can’t do it due to a lifelong habit of going to the match and a warped, one sided sense of loyalty. However, I think the pricing will force me out in the next couple of years. That and the fact that I just don’t find watching football as enjoyable as I did 10 years or so ago.
The corporates have already taken over and that will only increase in the coming years. Big shame, but things move on, society moves on and that’s how it is.

 

[BrianW]

What we need is a City TV channel where we can watch every minute of every game live. With proper commentary, not Scouse cunts.

I would gladly pay for that, and I suspect a lot more would too. That's probably the future. Actually going to a match will be a treat, like attending the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Expensive and dominated by the wealthy. The 'experience' will be aimed at such punters.

 

[BlueHammer85]

I won't be renewing my season ticket for the first time in 32 years !

various reasons -

1. I can go to any game anyway at the Hammers, most easy to get on website individually and as a member and i know loads that have ST that always selling
2. Just don't enjoy going! can't be arsed getting the train and the cost, sitting around moaning fans and have not enjoyed it for a long time now (ironically in a period for us Hammers that has been great)
3. My dad died few months ago - he was really the only reason i continued to renew my ST, didn't want him sitting on his own.
4. TV coverage is really good, we all knock Sky/TNT etc but i find them great channels to view games. Going to pretty much every home game, travelling to most stadiums in the country - i am more than happy if someone wants to now label me as an armchair fan.
5. rather go pub some games, be around mates that i can have a laugh with and if we're getting stuffed i can go play pool and have a beer instead.
6. My enthusiasm has gone really - if we lose we lose. if we win then great. It's all out my hands. can't be arsed wasting life getting enraged about a defeat or VAR decision.
7. I got newborn and a kid, travel alot with work, run alot of races, lifes too busy.

 

[Stephen230]

What we need is a City TV channel where we can watch every minute of every game live. With proper commentary, not Scouse cunts.

I would gladly pay for that, and I suspect a lot more would too. That's probably the future. Actually going to a match will be a treat, like attending the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Expensive and dominated by the wealthy. The 'experience' will be aimed at such punters.

How much would you be prepared to pay though? Sky pay somewhere in the region of an average of £10 million for exclusive live coverage in the UK of each Premier League game they show.

That’s the sort of money the Premier League would have to be confident of recouping if they were to cut out the middle man and sell direct to the punter.

 

[simmo]

Season tickets though are guaranteed income , plus they know they can increase the amount as and when due to loyalty ties.

More likely in my view is a trial game overseas much like American football have embarked on. Live in Tokyo as City take on neighbours United.

 

[Stephen230]

NO season tickets at all...

I think it’s a bit early to judge what the club’s long term strategy on new season tickets is.

We’ve had one season of just a few silvers and one season of none at all.

But don’t forget that came on the back of every season ticket holder being allowed to defer for a year, at the same time as new tickets were being released.

Nobody knows the numbers. But it’s possible we’re only back to the same sort of numbers we were in the last pre Covid season.

We’ll learn a lot more when we see how they handle the new stand sales.

 

[East Level 2]

Perhaps we are seeing the advent of that with Messi and Ronaldo fans, and now Haaland fans, who follow the player and not the club? the modern fan is bizarre.

My view of player fans is that they exist in areas where the local football isn't of a high quality.
Similar to the sort of dickhead who will watch City v Real, Bayern, rags and dippers but not Brentford. Basically people too fucking stupid to understand what it means to support a football team. We did alright for crowds when every game was against perceived "lower quality" opponents 25 seasons ago.
I can understand Norwegians supporting Haaland to a degree as Norwegian club sides tend not to do well in Europe but how many times a season are they going to fork out for a trip to see City?

 

[Stephen230]

My view of player fans is that they exist in areas where the local football isn't of a high quality.
Similar to the sort of dickhead who will watch City v Real, Bayern, rags and dippers but not Brentford. Basically people too fucking stupid to understand what it means to support a football team. We did alright for crowds when every game was against perceived "lower quality" opponents 25 seasons ago.
I can understand Norwegians supporting Haaland to a degree as Norwegian club sides tend not to do well in Europe but how many times a season are they going to fork out for a trip to see City?

Not sure it’s a question of how stupid someone is.

It’s more, how important football is in their lives.

I know many people who not only is it their number one priority but number two is so far behind, it’s irrelevant.

Other people don’t mind going to the odd game for a change but it really isn’t that big of a thing to them. And obviously if you’re that sort of person, you’d be more interested in going against Real Madrid than Brentford.

 

[roman totale]

Great post by the OP and an interesting discussion point although, like everyone else, I don’t like any of it and what it means for the true fan.

I see it actually going the other way - they want a stadium full of season-ticket holders. This is where it’s gone/ going in the US and it’s going to happen. Guaranteed income, largely paid upfront and it creates a demand for the secondary/ resell market that can be controlled (e.g. Stubhub as the ‘official’ and only way to resell a ticket) and means more $$ as they take a slice of the resale. Also allows you to charge people for the ‘privilege’ of being on the season-ticket waiting list and ‘Permanent Seat Licenses’. This also means that if the team turns to shit for a few years, people are locked-in to keep buying those STs because they don’t want to give up their place when things become good again.

A good example to look at is the new Buffalo Bills stadium. Its capacity is lower than the number of season-ticket holders they already have today. That’s not an accident.