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EPL Side West Ham United Reduces Ticket Prices To Fill Olympic Stadium

EPL side West Ham United will "take advantage" of the increased capacity of its new home as well as the lucrative new TV deal by reducing ticket prices when it moves to the Olympic Stadium for the '16-17 season, according to Mark Cue of the LONDON TIMES. With an extra 25,000 seats to fill, the club will "introduce the cheapest adult season ticket in the top flight in a bid to get the crowds" up to the 60,000 capacity or as close to it "as possible." West Ham is increasing prices for its final season at Upton Park, but a "new 'band five' tier is being introduced to bring down the cost of a season ticket" to £289 ($434), which works out to £15.20 ($22.85) for each of the 19 home Premier League matches. West Ham Vice Chair Karren Brady said, "We have always said that the move to our magnificent new stadium would be a game changer for West Ham: a chance to increase revenue, invest in the team and improve our performance on the pitch, but crucially without putting an extra financial burden on the supporters who already come to watch every home match" (LONDON TIMES, 4/22). The BBC reported since the EPL's new TV deal was announced, there have been protests at a number of Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace and Liverpool, as supporters "vent their anger at the cost of watching football." BBC Sport's Price of Football survey showed that 15 of the 20 Premier League teams "offered cheaper 2014-15 season tickets than West Ham." Football Supporters' Federation Chair Malcolm Clarke has "called for more clubs to drop ticket prices." Clarke: "Any reduction is welcome, so two cheers for West Ham for that. But before we give them three cheers, we await to see what they do about price categories, what they do about away fans and what they do with ordinary admission" (BBC, 4/21). 

EXECS VS. FANS: In London, Owen Gibson reported West Ham execs were "blowing their own trumpets" on Wednesday in a "PR blitz to announce" cuts to season-ticket prices. Brady was "all over the morning airwaves wringing maximum PR benefit from the announcement." But she was very careful to say the "attractive prices" were being "funded by the Premier League’s bumper broadcast deal" from '16-17 rather than the fact West Ham will be paying only £15M ($22.6M) upfront, plus £2.5M ($3.8M) per year in rent on a 99-year lease, to move into a state-of-the-art stadium. The move will allow the club to "increase hospitality revenue at the top end and fund price cuts at the bottom." As West Ham's moving-in date "looms, it becomes ever clearer just what a good deal Brady has wrung out" of the London Legacy Development Corp. (London GUARDIAN, 4/22). The PA asked, "Is this the start of cheaper ticket prices for fans? Sadly, that doesn't seem likely." West Ham is "clearly doing the sums," and has "figured out that they're better off charging a bit less and packing the Olympic Stadium to the rafters." That is another reason to "applaud the Hammers' move": given it is one of the clubs that sells out every home game, it "could no doubt have kept their prices the same -- or even charged a premium for their plush new surroundings." Perhaps that may come further down the line, but for now West Ham is "playing very fair" (PA, 4/21).

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