Levy Wants to Turn Spurs into an Entertainment Brand

Much has been made of Spurs’ new stadium as both a football and entertainment venue. As well as hosting football matches, the 62,000-seater arena has staged numerous pop concerts and non-football sporting events. This has contributed to Spurs’ staggering commercial income, which at £228m, is the fourth-highest in the Premier League and has almost doubled since moving to the new stadium.

Matchday income has also risen, partly due to the expansion and partly because of soaring ticket prices. The pricing structure implemented by Levy, along with the club’s broader commercial approach, is part of a master plan to reposition Spurs as a media institution rather than just a sports team, according to Maguire.

“There seems to be a breakdown in the relationship between Spurs and the fans when it comes to ticket prices. When they moved to the new ground, it was sold as a way to become more competitive on the pitch. The launch prices were very high, around six percent higher than already high figures.

“I’m not excusing what we have seen at Nottingham Forest or Wolves, but they were coming from a lower base. We’re seeing a substantial increase in wages, up from £181m in 2020 to £251m in 2023. The club will argue that the continued investment in talent must correlate with increased revenues as well.

“Spurs have a monopoly on supplying their own fanbase. The club has a waiting list for season tickets and knows that if season ticket holders don’t attend matches, there are plenty of supporters who will. And while the prices are very high, the club benchmarks against prices for other events like Beyonce concerts.

“I was going to see Pearl Jam at Spurs, and that ticket was over £100. Owners are repositioning football clubs from being just sporting organizations to being part of the entertainment industry. They argue if you’d pay that for a West End show, why would it be different for Spurs?”

Tottenham to Squeeze Every Penny from Matchday Income

To fund the investment in talent, Spurs are always searching for efficiencies and revenue opportunities. This includes a scheme where season ticket holders can sell their passes back to the club for a pro-rata price, with the club then selling it as a single matchday ticket for a profit.

“If you don’t put your tickets up for sale on the exchange for a few matches, the club reserves the right to not allow you to renew your season tickets,” said Maguire. “Sometimes life gets in the way, like work or family issues. If it’s just a few games, fine. But if it’s more, you can understand the club’s point of view. From a fan’s perspective, it costs a fortune initially, so you’d want to get that money back.

“Typically, if you’re paying £60 per match as part of your season ticket, you can sell them back to Spurs for £60, and they can sell them for £120.”