We’re going through a cost of living crisis and things from bread to car insurance have soared in price. Football ticket prices in Scotland have not been immune, resulting in eye watering amounts for adult football tickets. This squeeze on the most loyal of football fans is unjust and must be remediated to keep the game accessible for everyone.
The people that come to watch football inside a stadium do not only do so out of pure loyalty, but also as a form of entertainment. When comparing the football watching experience to other forms of entertainment it’s immediately striking how stark the price differences have become.
A Vue cinema ticket at Edinburgh Omni Centre currently sets you back at least 7.99 GBP. While that’s already a 60 percent increase from the 4.99 GBP last year, the 1-3 hour experience provides you with a comfortable seating arrangement and allows you to watch the latest blockbuster. Across the river a 1-3 hour football watching experience at Raith Rovers’ Stark Park sets an adult back 24.00 GBP. That 24.00 GBP does not even provide someone with the most comfortable seating experience, nor does it provide access to the highest level football matches in Scotland.
Obviously loyalty plays a huge part in football culture. There are few fans that will switch support to another team just because of football ticket prices. That is also why clubs can easily get away with hiking prices to obscene heights, without facing significant backlash from fans. In fact, Raith Rovers announced it doubled its average attendance last season. On top of that, the club experienced a sell out crowd during last month’s 1st leg Scottish Premiership play-off final.
Ways to make football ticket prices more affordable
So if change is not going to come from other entertainment or market forces, what can make football ticket prices more affordable for fans? A good example of a top level football club that managed to keep prices relatively affordable is Bayern Munich. Past season Bayern fans could watch their team play for as ”few” as 20.00 EUR or approximately 17.00 GBP. There are also various reductions based on membership and age, which can push back costs for an adult fan to as low as 17.50 EUR or approximately 14.80 GBP. One of the secrets to these unheard of prices for top tier football matches is that Bayern also offers standing places. A section where fans do not sit, but stand. The club’s global fan support and lucrative income streams through merchandise, sponsorship and broadcasting will play a huge role as well in keeping entry prices relatively low. But the one does not exclude the other. Part of Bayern their successes on the pitch may ultimately also lie in the fair treatment of fans in terms of affordable ticket pricing.
The lesson from top clubs like Bayern is that it’s not necessary to price out huge swathes of the population with obscenely high football ticket prices. Even when playing at the highest level prices can be more affordable than they currently are at many of the professional football clubs in Scotland. A properly managed club can look at expanding its fan base through affordable entry options and gain more revenue streams nationally and internationally. This allows them to showcase a sizzling atmosphere provided by full crowds in the stands. Fans attending matches should be seen by clubs as their biggest asset that are worth getting past the gates at all costs, instead of cows needing to be milked with ever higher entry prices. In the end it’s counter productive to keep increasing prices above the price of a grocery shop or other more affordable entertainment out there. It turns something people enjoy and love into a burden that people will slightly lose interest in over time. Not just out of spite, but out of sheer budgetary necessity.
An extreme example of how to reach the masses and earn more income is the freemium model. This earning model is frequently used in digital entertainment. In this type of model access to the main entertainment, such as a digital game world, is completely free. The income is subsequently generated by sales of in-game items or expansions, such as skins or access to additional content inside the game world. This type of model has brought huge success to games like Lord of the Rings Online and Fortnite. They managed to sell a lot more than by merely selling the game or charging for annual subscriptions, which is what football clubs currently do via tickets and season tickets. With some imagination a freemium model can be implemented into professional football. Imagine getting the option of free entry to matches, while being offered a wide range of options at the club to buy something. The sales can be generated from various merchandise, in-game services, and by requesting a fee for premium luxury seating arrangements.
A freemium model has not been implemented by any professional football club. But it’s worth looking into for anyone wanting to significantly grow a fan base and increase income. By removing obstacles for fans to attend, a football club could gain much greater income than by merely annually hiking stadium ticket prices. Such a move may not only prove popular for a local hardcore fan base, but is likely to generate wider interest from other people as well. Perhaps in such a situation an average Joe like myself will think twice about watching the newest Planet of the Apes movie in cinema, and would prefer to spend the Saturday or Sunday watching a football match. And with cash to spare, may opt to buy that club t-shirt, a mug for the misses and some food. The additional sales generated by thousands of extra fans in the stadium can drip down to more fans watching at home as well. Ultimately this can offset the need for steep football ticket prices altogether.
The pandemic showed us how boring it is to watch matches on TV without crowds. The cost of having half empty stadiums or people losing interest over time due to high football ticket prices must be taken into account by clubs. A team can be made or broken by its fan base, by their ongoing support, their interest and the atmosphere and culture a club can showcase. Hiking football ticket prices indefinitely to levels beyond the reach of the ordinary man is not something that is sustainable for Scottish football. At its core football needs fans. Without them clubs become empty husks devoid of meaning and purpose. I appeal to clubs big and small to look at the importance of getting as many people as possible past the gates week in and week out. Look at successful examples in the Bundesliga and in other industries to see how more affordable football ticket prices are possible and keep the game accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
