What will the new Premier League TV deal mean for fans?
11 February 2015
Yesterday the Premier League made an announcement, with details of the new TV deal that had been agreed for seasons 2016/17 to 2018/19. The figures they announced were (as predicted) staggering.
Back in June 2012 the Premier League announced their new deal for seasons 2013/14 to 2015/16; this was worth £3.018 billion which represented a 70% increase on the previous deal. The announcement yesterday was that Sky and BT Sport were to pay £5.136 billion - a further 71% hike. The figures are astronomical but Richard Scudamore (the Premier League Chief Executive) was quick to point out that the league is a top UK export and helps generate a feelgood factor about the nation. Agreed it's a major brand, but what is the foundation of that brand? Not the players, the clubs, the managers or the plush corporate entertainment. It's the fans.
What does the deal mean for clubs?
When the last deal was announced, it was calculated that Arsenal would be receiving around an extra £30 million per season from Premier League TV broadcast rights alone. Last season (2013/14) Arsenal earned a whopping £72.75 million in Premier League TV broadcast revenue. This latest deal will see Arsenal pocket an estimated £35 million more per season, meaning the club could be getting £110 million a year from league TV rights alone.
What does the deal mean for fans?
When we say fans we refer to matchgoing Arsenal fans. While the club has supporters all over the world, it's the matchgoing fans who help make the Premier League what it is. As we've often said, football without the fans is nothing. No fans in the ground? The Premier League has no brand. So it's imperative that Arsenal and indeed all Premier League clubs recognise the value and importance of their core matchgoing support.
At Arsenal we already have ticket prices at the very peak. There should be no way they continue to rise, despite what Stan Kroenke or the Board may think. The 3% rise they foisted upon us last season was a disgrace, earning the club just £2.8m in extra revenue. What was even worse was the discovery that Kroenke then took this money back out of the club in a 'consultancy' deal so shady that the Board completely brushed it under the carpet when pressed at the club's AGM.
The club has seen a huge increase in commercial revenue and as Ivan Gazidis said back in May 2011, new commercial revenue will lessen the need for Arsenal to further press its matchgoing support. So the announcement of no price rises next season was the least they could do.
A reduction in ticket prices? Better deals for fans?
Let's face it, with all this new money flooding into the game, Premier League clubs could be doing a lot more to help ease the financial burden on matchgoing supporters. Arsenal will spin that they introduced Category C pricing, but conveniently forget to mention that this also meant they pushed Category A prices through the roof. We were the first club to smash the barrier for a £100 non-corporate matchday ticket. The club has even decided not to publish details of the highest price ticket on its website! For the record, it's around the £126 mark.
So yes, clubs should look to reduce prices and Arsenal should be part of that. Will they? I think we know the answer to that one... so what can they do to help out? There are a whole host of ideas and suggestions that they could and should consider to make the matchday experience better for fans. We've discussed many of these with the club but while they hear, we feel that they don't really listen. There are initiatives such as:
There could be many more to add to this list, but as we've always said, the Board of Arsenal absolutely need to recognise the loyalty and the huge importance of the club's core, matchgoing support.
So the Premier League can shout all it likes about this fantastic new deal, and Boardrooms up and down the country can rejoice over the never-ending, ever-increasing amount of riches they have flooding in. But they should never, ever forget...
WITHOUT THE FANS, FOOTBALL IS NOTHING. For some time, it's been time that clubs make positive moves to reward the loyalty of fans. Not much has happened, but now it really should. Make the move and do the right thing.
Up The Gunners.
Yesterday the Premier League made an announcement, with details of the new TV deal that had been agreed for seasons 2016/17 to 2018/19. The figures they announced were (as predicted) staggering.
Back in June 2012 the Premier League announced their new deal for seasons 2013/14 to 2015/16; this was worth £3.018 billion which represented a 70% increase on the previous deal. The announcement yesterday was that Sky and BT Sport were to pay £5.136 billion - a further 71% hike. The figures are astronomical but Richard Scudamore (the Premier League Chief Executive) was quick to point out that the league is a top UK export and helps generate a feelgood factor about the nation. Agreed it's a major brand, but what is the foundation of that brand? Not the players, the clubs, the managers or the plush corporate entertainment. It's the fans.
What does the deal mean for clubs?
When the last deal was announced, it was calculated that Arsenal would be receiving around an extra £30 million per season from Premier League TV broadcast rights alone. Last season (2013/14) Arsenal earned a whopping £72.75 million in Premier League TV broadcast revenue. This latest deal will see Arsenal pocket an estimated £35 million more per season, meaning the club could be getting £110 million a year from league TV rights alone.
What does the deal mean for fans?
When we say fans we refer to matchgoing Arsenal fans. While the club has supporters all over the world, it's the matchgoing fans who help make the Premier League what it is. As we've often said, football without the fans is nothing. No fans in the ground? The Premier League has no brand. So it's imperative that Arsenal and indeed all Premier League clubs recognise the value and importance of their core matchgoing support.
At Arsenal we already have ticket prices at the very peak. There should be no way they continue to rise, despite what Stan Kroenke or the Board may think. The 3% rise they foisted upon us last season was a disgrace, earning the club just £2.8m in extra revenue. What was even worse was the discovery that Kroenke then took this money back out of the club in a 'consultancy' deal so shady that the Board completely brushed it under the carpet when pressed at the club's AGM.
The club has seen a huge increase in commercial revenue and as Ivan Gazidis said back in May 2011, new commercial revenue will lessen the need for Arsenal to further press its matchgoing support. So the announcement of no price rises next season was the least they could do.
A reduction in ticket prices? Better deals for fans?
Let's face it, with all this new money flooding into the game, Premier League clubs could be doing a lot more to help ease the financial burden on matchgoing supporters. Arsenal will spin that they introduced Category C pricing, but conveniently forget to mention that this also meant they pushed Category A prices through the roof. We were the first club to smash the barrier for a £100 non-corporate matchday ticket. The club has even decided not to publish details of the highest price ticket on its website! For the record, it's around the £126 mark.
So yes, clubs should look to reduce prices and Arsenal should be part of that. Will they? I think we know the answer to that one... so what can they do to help out? There are a whole host of ideas and suggestions that they could and should consider to make the matchday experience better for fans. We've discussed many of these with the club but while they hear, we feel that they don't really listen. There are initiatives such as:
- Remove categorisation and have one flat-rate ticket price
- Work on reciprocal deals with other clubs, for away ticket prices
- Introduce a 'lite' version of the season ticket, for league games only
- Offer a simple in-house repayment scheme which doesn't involve fans having to apply for a loan
- Provide a more effective ticket exchange scheme that's open until matchday
- An overhaul of the club's Silver membership scheme
- Allow Gold members to downgrade to Silver
- Commit to pushing for trials of safe standing
There could be many more to add to this list, but as we've always said, the Board of Arsenal absolutely need to recognise the loyalty and the huge importance of the club's core, matchgoing support.
So the Premier League can shout all it likes about this fantastic new deal, and Boardrooms up and down the country can rejoice over the never-ending, ever-increasing amount of riches they have flooding in. But they should never, ever forget...
WITHOUT THE FANS, FOOTBALL IS NOTHING. For some time, it's been time that clubs make positive moves to reward the loyalty of fans. Not much has happened, but now it really should. Make the move and do the right thing.
Up The Gunners.
