Average English Premier League Ticket Cost Has Risen More Than 15% Since 2011

The average cost of the cheapest adult match-day ticket at Premier League clubs "has risen by more than 15% since 2011," with prices now ranging from £15 ($24) to £50 ($80), according to Andy Cryer of the BBC. The average price of the cheapest Premier League season ticket for an adult has also gone up, rising 8.7% since '12, from £467.95 to £508.55 ($809). The BBC's Price of Football collected data from 207 clubs in 21 divisions across British and European football "to find out how much supporters must pay to follow their team." Arsenal's cheapest season ticket "is almost double the average, rising 3.97% from last season" to £1,014 ($1,615), the highest in the league. The club's season tickets do, though, include seven "cup credits," effectively pre-payment for seven tickets for cup matches. Arsenal has the most expensive season ticket in the Premier League at £2,013 ($3,202), double the price of ManU's most expensive ticket "and more than four times the cost of West Brom's." Man City sells "the cheapest adult season ticket" in the top flight at £299 ($475). That is "cheaper than 15 clubs in the Championship, 10 clubs in League One, four in League Two and one in the Conference." On the other hand, "you can buy a season ticket for some of the top sides in Europe for much less." Portugal's Sporting Lisbon is "the cheapest of the men's clubs" covered, selling an adult season ticket for around £55 ($88). You "can even buy a season ticket at Barcelona" for about £103 ($163). AC Milan charges £298 ($474) for its "most expensive match-day ticket." That "is the most of any of the clubs" in the study. In fact, a lot of the European clubs contacted have match-day tickets priced more than £100 ($159), including Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Paris St. Germain, Barcelona, Marseille, Atletico Madrid, Monaco and Juventus (BBC, 10/14). REUTERS' Martyn Herman reported Football Supporters Federation CEO Kevin Miles describes the cost of watching football in England as "ridiculous." Miles: "We want football to be affordable for all. At a time when there's more money in football than there ever has been before with the incredible television revenues coming in, it is ridiculous that fans are still being squeezed. ... Working class people are being priced out. Football is losing its social inclusion." Premier League clubs "will point to last season's average attendance of 36,695 -- the highest in the top flight since 1949-50 -- while attendances in the Championship also rose" (REUTERS, 10/15).