Premiership Rugby side Leicester Tigers made a loss for a second successive year "despite record ticket sales and sponsorship revenues," according to RUNNING RUGBY. In the year to June 30, turnover increased to £19.7M (up from £19M) as the business recorded an operating loss before tax of £686,000, compared with a loss of £424,000 in the previous year. More than 320,000 match tickets were sold for fixtures at Welford Road in the '16-17 season, "producing an average attendance in league and cup of almost 21,500." Season tickets numbered almost 14,500, which accounted for £3.7M in revenue. Local media reported that total ticket revenue was down from £5.9M to £5.5M from the previous year as the club did not host a European Cup quarterfinal at Welford Road as it did in '16. During '16-17, Tigers "lifted the club's first silverware in four years" to become the only three-time winner of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, while qualifying for the knockout stages of the Premiership Rugby season for a "remarkable" 13th consecutive season (RUNNING RUGBY, 10/23).
