The rising costs of being a sports fan: How much is your loyalty worth?

As we come towards the end of another jam-packed post-pandemic sporting year, it seems as if the barrier of entry to see the sports you love, whether at home or in person, is getting more and more expensive. The phrases ‘private equity’ and ‘ownership portfolios’ are being used in a sporting context far more than it feels like they should be, and the unique power of elite sport to bolster and unite local communities appears to be wasting away.

Take this summer’s Men’s World Cup for example, where standard tickets were regularly listed at more than $1000 each and, for the final, cost up to $10,000. These absurd prices were widely condemned by a multitude of fan organisations. However, with demand higher than ever and the potential for further tournament expansion on the cards, a positive change does not look likely.

Closer to home, the European Athletics Championships took place in Birmingham during August, receiving similar criticism from fans and media members alike. Low attendances for some of the competition’s flagship events were blamed on a mixture of prohibitive ticket prices and inaccessible travel arrangements to the Alexander Stadium.

Even when fans are willing to put up with massive costs, their experience seems to be treated more as an afterthought

Throughout the week-long competition, Category A seats along the home straight cost upwards of £110 without junior concessions, which, according to BBC News, represents an almost 50% increase on the same tickets at the last staging of the competition in Rome two years ago.

This price jump in particular feels like a watershed moment given the exciting place that British Athletics finds itself in. Incredible athletes like Keely Hodgkinson and Amy Hunt deserve packed-out stadiums in front of a home crowd but, away from the most mainstream sports, this is becoming increasingly infrequent.

Even when fans are willing to put up with massive costs, their experience seems to be treated more as an afterthought than as any integral part of the event’s success. This is plainly evident in the arrangement of the upcoming all-British boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Tickets for the bout…range from £90 to over £13,000, and, despite selling out in an hour, remain available on resell platforms from £200

Despite the obvious British interest in the contest, the fighters are not scheduled to make their walk to the ring until 1am GMT, meaning the fight might not conclude until after 2am local time, all for the purpose of allowing an American TV audience to tune in at a more acceptable time for them.

Tickets for the bout, which will take place in Cardiff on December 11, range from £90 to over £13,000, and, despite selling out in an hour, remain available on resell platforms from £200.

This growing trend of priced-out and overlooked fans is not just an in-person phenomenon either. The enduring popularity of sports means that they are an attractive proposition for broadcasters desperate to maintain viewership on their channels or subscription services.

These broadcasters are willing to spend huge amounts of money to secure the rights to show sports and, as a result, expect hefty payments from viewers in order to recoup their investment. Moreover, media competition laws in sports like football prohibit a single broadcaster from holding all the rights, meaning fans are forced to buy multiple streaming deals just to keep across their favourite teams.

Football fans [pay] almost 60% more than they were in 2019 to follow the same action

According to a study last year from analytics firm Ampere Analysis, this has culminated in football fans paying almost 60% more than they were in 2019 to follow the same action at the top of the game.

The prevailing question from all of this is: what are the alternatives to the leagues and competitions that are consistently failing in their duty to fans?

In the case of men’s football the answer might be simple: find your local non-league team and see what you think. In terms of following England in sports like cricket and rugby, women’s fixtures present a cheaper option while providing the same pulsating entertainment.

The Red Roses in particular have capitalised on the momentum of last year’s World Cup triumph, and their fixtures remain a brilliant opportunity to see the best of rugby union at an affordable price.

Although elite sports threaten to leave their staunchest supporters behind, it should always be the fans who are kept at the centre of the action.