More than half the clubs in the Premier League "could have played in empty stadiums and still made a pre-tax profit in the first season of the current broadcast deal," according to Andrew Aloia of the BBC. In '16-17, during which clubs benefited from a record £8.3B in global TV revenue, matchday income contributed less than 20p of every £1 earned by 18 top-flight outfits. The number of clubs that "would have recorded pre-tax profits even if matchday income was taken away" rose from two in '15-16 to 11 in '16-17. Sheffield Hallam University sport finance specialist Rob Wilson said that the previous £3.018B broadcast deal struck in '12 signaled a "permanent change to top-flight football as a business in England." Wilson: "That is when the focus really went toward generating TV money rather than matchday ticket receipts. The revenue structures of those clubs are fairly well there to stay now." So "just how important is it to have fans coming through the turnstiles?" Football Supporters' Federation Chair Malcolm Clarke said, "I'd say they are the most important element. Players and managers come and go, but we are always there." The Premier League said that clubs "work hard to fill their stadiums" through a number of ticketing offers, highlighting the £30 ($38.14) cap on away tickets introduced at the start of the '16-17 season. Away tickets are not capped at £30 in the League Championship, and Swansea City COO Chris Pearlman admitted it "may end up costing the club more." Pearlman added that matchdays generate the "greatest amount" in merchandise sales, with in-stadium signage, local sponsorship deals and program advertising all heavily dependent on "fans attending games." Crystal Palace Chair Steve Parish said that supporters are "the only ones that matter." The BBC's Price of Football study also found that in '17:
- Average season ticket prices across English football's top flight "were at their lowest levels" since '13, having fallen for the second consecutive year.
- The League Championship's average lowest matchday ticket price had fallen from £22.11 to £20.58. However, the average cost of an away ticket "remained the highest in any league in Britain."
- In League Two, "the average cost of both the cheapest and most expensive season tickets rose" (BBC, 8/14).
