 |
Football fans traveling to watch their teams play against Premier League side Southampton this season will have their match day tickets subsidized by the club's shirt sponsor, Virgin Media, according to Josh Noble of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Owners of Premier League teams "have faced growing discontent from supporters as the cost of going to matches has risen," even as club revenue from TV rights and commercial deals has "soared." Virgin's agreement will cap ticket prices at £20 ($26) for away fans, with the media company "picking up the tab for additional costs." Southampton will host Watford on the opening day of the season on Saturday, a game for which published away ticket prices are £30 ($39). Virgin Media said in a statement, "We hope by taking this step we set a good example in football for other clubs and sponsors to follow." The move "follows pressure across the English game to reduce ticket prices for away fans led by the Football Supporters' Federation." The "Twenty's Plenty" campaign, launched in Jan. '13, sought to bring in a £20 cap on ticket prices for visiting fans. Synergy Sponsorship Chief Strategy Officer Carsten Thode said that the move by Virgin was an "elegant" way of avoiding one of "the common pitfalls with football sponsorship." Thode: "One of the concerns that always comes up for sponsors is the fear that you might alienate fans from other clubs. This is one of the cleverest ways I've seen of a sponsor of one team reaching fans of every other team in a meaningful way" (
FT, 8/9). MARKETING WEEK's Charlotte Rogers reported Virgin Media Head of Advertising & Sponsorship Ellie Tory Norman said that putting fans "at the heart of the game" is the aim of the company's sponsorship strategy, as is "carving out a niche in a football arena dominated by media rivals Sky and BT Sport." Norman: "We want our presence in football to be grounded in reality and focused on the people who turn out week in, week out whether they are home or away fans. We thought about the position Sky and BT take in the marketplace and also about Virgin as a parent company, which is all about being accessible and inclusive. We are passionate about the home team, but we also care about the away experience." The initiatives "are not exclusively for away fans." Virgin Media will be giving all 27,000 Southampton supporters "a free drink" at the first match of the season and is arranging a convoy of 27 free coaches to take fans to the club’s first Friday night clash with ManU on Aug. 19. Norman acknowledges "the strong brand advocacy opportunities Virgin Media hopes to cultivate among both home and away fans." Norman said that taking "a disruptive approach to building brand advocacy is in Virgin’s heritage." She said, "If you look at spend within the sports media mix our share of voice is less than Sky and BT, so disruption is hugely important" (
MARKETING WEEK, 8/9). THE DRUM's Seb Joseph reported starting this weekend, all of Watford’s travelling supporters will receive a £10 ($13) refund on tickets purchased "as they go through the turnstiles." Other brands like Capital One have subsidized travel for away football fans in the past but Virgin Media's latest effort "is one of the biggest gestures from a Premier League sponsor to date." Virgin Media CMO Kerris Bright said, "We are helping to enact change for the good of fans so they can get a fairer deal" (
THE DRUM, 8/9).
