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NEWS
BBC’s Price of Football survey: ticket price increases outstrip cost of living
POSTED 15 Oct 2014 . BY Tom Walker
The Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC – and the most expensive tickets in UK professional sport
The annual Price of Football survey by the BBC shows that the average price of tickets for English football clubs has risen at twice the rate of the consumer price index.

The average price of the cheapest match-day ticket (calculated for clubs from the English Premier League down to League Two) is now £21.49 – an increase of 13 per cent since 2011. In the same period, cost of living in the UK has gone up by 6.8 per cent.

Only five Premier League clubs have single match tickets available for less than £25 (Aston Villa, Hull, Leicester, Newcastle and West Ham), while fans of nine clubs will have to dish out at least £30 to see their team.

There are, however, regional differences.

The cheapest season tickets at North London-based Arsenal FC – a club that has only won one trophy in the past eight years – cost a whopping £1,014, while fans of defending champions Manchester City can buy a season ticket for £299. Arsenal also boasts the most expensive season tickets at £2,013.

To see the prices of tickets at each of the 176 football clubs covered by the BBC survey, click here.

Increases in ticket prices comes at a time when the money clubs receive from broadcasting rights is at an all-time high.

When the English Premier League negotiated the latest round of broadcasting rights (from 2013 to 2016), it secured a deal worth an estimated £5.6bn – compared to £3.18bn from the previous three-year cycle. The deal agreed in 2007 (2007-2010) was estimated at £2.7bn.

Clubs such as Arsenal – the club with the most expensive tickets in the UK – have come under fire from fans’ groups for increasing ticket prices at a time when they are securing improved deals from broadcasters.

Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Federation, said: "We want football to be affordable for all. At a time when there's more money in football than there ever has been before with the incredible television revenues coming in, it is ridiculous that fans are still being squeezed.

"Some of that money has to be made available to subsidise tickets rather than creating a climate where prices are constantly going up."

Premier league clubs have, however, defended themselves by pointing out that attendances at matches have not dropped – an indication that they have got the pricing right.

According to the recent Annual Review of Football Finance, by business analyst Deloitte, the combined total of English Premier League clubs' revenues broke the £3bn mark for the first time during the 2013-14 season.

• The Price of Football is in its fourth year and is the largest study of its kind in Britain, covering 176 clubs across 11 division in British football and 31 clubs from 10 different leagues in Europe.
RELATED STORIES
  New government initiative aiming to strengthen “fan power” at football clubs


The coalition government has launched a new initiative aiming to ensure football fans have more say in the running of their clubs.
  Price of football tickets in the UK stagnates – but Premier League still most expensive in Europe


The cost of watching football has remained the same at most clubs across the UK’s 13 professional leagues – but fans of top flight teams still pay more than any other European fans for match day experiences.
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Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
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Jobs    News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
BBC’s Price of Football survey: ticket price increases outstrip cost of living
POSTED 15 Oct 2014 . BY Tom Walker
The Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC – and the most expensive tickets in UK professional sport
The annual Price of Football survey by the BBC shows that the average price of tickets for English football clubs has risen at twice the rate of the consumer price index.

The average price of the cheapest match-day ticket (calculated for clubs from the English Premier League down to League Two) is now £21.49 – an increase of 13 per cent since 2011. In the same period, cost of living in the UK has gone up by 6.8 per cent.

Only five Premier League clubs have single match tickets available for less than £25 (Aston Villa, Hull, Leicester, Newcastle and West Ham), while fans of nine clubs will have to dish out at least £30 to see their team.

There are, however, regional differences.

The cheapest season tickets at North London-based Arsenal FC – a club that has only won one trophy in the past eight years – cost a whopping £1,014, while fans of defending champions Manchester City can buy a season ticket for £299. Arsenal also boasts the most expensive season tickets at £2,013.

To see the prices of tickets at each of the 176 football clubs covered by the BBC survey, click here.

Increases in ticket prices comes at a time when the money clubs receive from broadcasting rights is at an all-time high.

When the English Premier League negotiated the latest round of broadcasting rights (from 2013 to 2016), it secured a deal worth an estimated £5.6bn – compared to £3.18bn from the previous three-year cycle. The deal agreed in 2007 (2007-2010) was estimated at £2.7bn.

Clubs such as Arsenal – the club with the most expensive tickets in the UK – have come under fire from fans’ groups for increasing ticket prices at a time when they are securing improved deals from broadcasters.

Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Federation, said: "We want football to be affordable for all. At a time when there's more money in football than there ever has been before with the incredible television revenues coming in, it is ridiculous that fans are still being squeezed.

"Some of that money has to be made available to subsidise tickets rather than creating a climate where prices are constantly going up."

Premier league clubs have, however, defended themselves by pointing out that attendances at matches have not dropped – an indication that they have got the pricing right.

According to the recent Annual Review of Football Finance, by business analyst Deloitte, the combined total of English Premier League clubs' revenues broke the £3bn mark for the first time during the 2013-14 season.

• The Price of Football is in its fourth year and is the largest study of its kind in Britain, covering 176 clubs across 11 division in British football and 31 clubs from 10 different leagues in Europe.
RELATED STORIES
New government initiative aiming to strengthen “fan power” at football clubs


The coalition government has launched a new initiative aiming to ensure football fans have more say in the running of their clubs.
Price of football tickets in the UK stagnates – but Premier League still most expensive in Europe


The cost of watching football has remained the same at most clubs across the UK’s 13 professional leagues – but fans of top flight teams still pay more than any other European fans for match day experiences.
MORE NEWS
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming.
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof.
Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
Universal Destinations and Experiences has launched a new regional theme park model with the opening of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.
San Antonio Zoo reports $283 million economic impact as expansion plans progress
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COMPANY PROFILES
Sally Corporation

Our services include: Dark ride design & build; Redevelopment of existing attractions; High-quality [more...]
Taylor Made Designs

Founded in 1993, Taylor Made Designs supply corporate clothing and brand-enhancing merchandise to [more...]
Alterface

Alterface’s Creative Division team is seasoned in concept and ride development, as well as storyte [more...]
RMA Ltd

RMA Ltd is a one-stop global company that can design, build and produce from a greenfield site upw [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
28-29 Sep 2026

Wellness Destination AI Tech Summit – Tourism, Hospitality & Real Estate, 28-29 Sept 2026

Grand Ballroom, METT Singapore, Singapore
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
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LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
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