Chippy_boy
Well-Known Member
The point is though, ticket sales is not where it's at. Worrying about revenue from ticket sales is completely missing the point and the much bigger opportunities.
If you look at United - who despite all their sins, do actually manage to win the odd thing and to generate profit - their matchday revenue has been on a steady decline for years. It is now 15% lower in cash terms than it was 4 years ago. Lower still in real terms.
On the other hand, their revenues from commercial activities and from broadcasting have steadily increased, and in the case of commercial, nearly doubled over the same period.
In 2009, matchday revenue including merchandising, catering and everything that goes with it generated 49% of their income. In 2012 it's 35%. And it's a steady decline. In 2013 it will be 30%.
My point is this: For us to succeed as a business, as a winning football club, and as a vehicle to promote Abu Dhabi, we have to grow our brand on the world stage. In that regard, it doesn't matter where on earth we are located. We could have been in Swansea and it wouldn't matter. Worrying about your ticketing revenue is missing the point because that's not where your profits will come from, no matter who or where you are.
Anything that makes us more attractive to watch and creates interest around the globe, should be our focus. An 80,000 seater stadium, jam packed full and rocking every week would certainly help that, and if we can stimulate that with cheap tickets, its a small price to pay imho.
If you look at United - who despite all their sins, do actually manage to win the odd thing and to generate profit - their matchday revenue has been on a steady decline for years. It is now 15% lower in cash terms than it was 4 years ago. Lower still in real terms.
On the other hand, their revenues from commercial activities and from broadcasting have steadily increased, and in the case of commercial, nearly doubled over the same period.
In 2009, matchday revenue including merchandising, catering and everything that goes with it generated 49% of their income. In 2012 it's 35%. And it's a steady decline. In 2013 it will be 30%.
My point is this: For us to succeed as a business, as a winning football club, and as a vehicle to promote Abu Dhabi, we have to grow our brand on the world stage. In that regard, it doesn't matter where on earth we are located. We could have been in Swansea and it wouldn't matter. Worrying about your ticketing revenue is missing the point because that's not where your profits will come from, no matter who or where you are.
Anything that makes us more attractive to watch and creates interest around the globe, should be our focus. An 80,000 seater stadium, jam packed full and rocking every week would certainly help that, and if we can stimulate that with cheap tickets, its a small price to pay imho.
