Football Supporters Federation Says TV Cash Could Fund Cheaper Premier League Tickets

The Football Supporters Federation said that "Premier League clubs could cut the cost of every ticket" by £32 ($50) with the upcoming increase in TV money, according to Simon Austin of the BBC. Domestic TV revenue will increase by £1.266B ($2B) for the next cycle, from '13-14 to '15-16. FSF Chair Malcolm Clarke said, "This figure shows what could potentially be done with this money. Yet we've just had new cost control measures, but no mention at all about how to tackle high ticket prices." Clarke said clubs "are highly unlikely to use the increased television money to fund decreases in ticket prices." In fact there are concerns that new Premier League cost controls -- introduced to stop the TV money being used to fund player wages -- "could lead to higher ticket prices." Former Liverpool CEO Rick Parry said: "With any form of cost constraint, one of the possible consequences is a rise in ticket prices." Liverpool University's Business School Professor Tom Cannon said: "These measures will put a lot more pressure on ticket prices" (BBC, 2/8).