For the 2024-25 Premier League campaign, Arsenal have increased their season ticket prices again. This time, general admission season tickets (along with match-by-match tickets) have gone up by 6% in the lower tier and 4% in the upper tier. It’s a hugely damaging blow to match-going fans, who have now faced price increases for the second successive year.
In the eyes of many, these changes are “unnecessary”. However, Arsenal’s first home game of the 2024-25 season saw them draw a huge attendance of 60,261 against Wolves, an improvement on last year’s season opener of 59,984. Clearly, despite dismay amongst some fans, the desire to watch Arsenal at the Emirates is higher than ever — and rising season ticket prices haven’t had a negative impact.
Why Have Arsenal Increased Season Ticket Prices?
Over the past two Premier League seasons, Arsenal have increased their season ticket prices. This has led to them having the highest average ticket prices of all the London clubs, with fans now paying at least £100 or more on average for their season tickets. If you want to watch Arsenal at the Emirates, the reality is that you’ll now have to dig much deeper into your pockets, whereas fans of other London clubs like Crystal Palace and Fulham don’t have the same level of concern. But what are the actual reasons behind Arsenal’s skyrocketing ticket prices? Here’s what you need to know.
1. Stadium Operating Costs
Arsenal have upped ticket prices mainly because of stadium operating costs. The Emirates, which is one of the best stadiums in Europe and cost Arsenal around £390 million to build between 2004 and 2006, isn’t cheap to operate. In the 2022-23 season alone, Arsenal’s operating expenses rose to £521.9 million, with the Emirates being a big factor. Therefore, in order to help with overall profit and sustainability, Arsenal have increased the prices of season tickets and match-by-match tickets to soften the strain on the club’s finances.
2. Greater Competitiveness on the Pitch
Since Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal back in December 2019, the Spaniard has transformed Arsenal into a serious competitive force. In just under 5 years, the club has won x1 FA Cup, achieved back-to-back Champions League qualification, and pushed Manchester City in two consecutive title races. The quality of football on the pitch has also drastically improved under Arteta, too, with Arsenal using inverted fullbacks, dominating possession, and utilizing quick passes around the opposition box to create chances. All of this has allowed Arsenal to raise ticket prices, as fans are ultimately getting to watch a better product.
Because Arsenal have become legitimate title contenders and Manchester City’s biggest threat, most sportsbooks have listed Arsenal at 9/5 odds to win the 2024-25 Premier League. Having almost won the Premier League the past two seasons, it could be third-time lucky for Arteta’s men, especially since Manchester City haven’t strengthened their squad and currently have 115 FFP charges looming over them. If you use the codes listed on the GamblingPromoCodes website, you can get bonuses from different sportsbooks and use them to bet on Arsenal, whether you think they’ll clinch the title or achieve a top 4 finish again.
3. The Need for Continuous Investment
The nature of modern football is that you need continuous investment if you want to compete across the Premier League, Champions League, and other major cup competitions. Without continuous investment, it’s impossible to stay close to the top, which is another one of the key inspirations behind Arsenal increasing their season ticket prices. With additional revenue coming in, it allows Arsenal to reinvest back into the squad and compete closely with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.
4. Higher Player Wages
It’s no secret that the Premier League has some of the highest wages in European football. When it comes to Premier League clubs with the biggest wage bills, Arsenal are close to the top, primarily because of huge investments in new signings over recent years, including Gabriel Jesis, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, and Kai Havertz. This has taken Arsenal’s wage bill for the Premier League 2024-25 season to an estimated £166,036,000, so an increase in season ticket prices by Arsenal was inevitable.
5. Post-Pandemic Recovery
During the COVID-19 pandemic, football clubs across Europe lost huge amounts of money, including Arsenal. In the 2020-21 season alone, Arsenal experienced losses of £107m due to the pandemic, so the club has been strategically trying to recoup its losses over the past few seasons. One of the tactics has been to increase ticket prices, something that helped to reduce overall losses during the 2023-24 season. And now that Arsenal’s ticket prices have gone up once again, the club is likely going to reduce its overall losses even further throughout the 2024-25 season, much to the delight of the board members.
Summary: Will Arsenal Season Ticket Prices Keep Increasing?
Following recent criticism from the media and fans, it’s possible that Arsenal will opt to freeze season ticket prices next season. However, due to the current economic climate and rising operating costs, it’s also possible that Arsenal will raise ticket prices for the third season in a row, although this would lead to potential uproar amongst fans. What happens will largely depend on Arsenal’s results during the 2024-25 season and whether or not they can beat Manchester City for the Premier League title. If Arsenal were to become Premier League champions this season, it would make future ticket price increases less susceptible to criticism, as Arsenal would be able to justify asking fans to pay more.