Industry update: more on stadium development, ticketing and fan experience

Read more on the stadium projects of Sparta Rotterdam, KVK Kortrijk, EURO 2020 Bucharest, NAC Breda and more in this weekly industry update provided by ESSMA..

Operations & Ticketing 

• FC Porto surpasses the threshold of 1 million fans who have attended an official home in 2018. In total 1,028,375 fans have showed up during one of the 25 official home matches at Estádio do Dragão.

Fan Experience & Hospitality 

• Manchester United have partnered up with Chinese property developer Harves to open a range of themed entertainment and experience centres across China. The experience centres are meant to recreate the experience of United’s Old Trafford Stadium and will feature interactive attractions and exhibitions. The first centres are set to open in Beijing, Shangai and Shengyan by the end of 2020.

We’re very excited to be partnering with Harves on the Manchester United Entertainment and Experience Centres concept, offering our millions of Chinese fans the chance to experience the club in a new and innovative way.

United’s group managing director, Richard Arnold

 

Construction & Development

• Sparta Rotterdam are simultaneously working on the (re)development of both their sports complex “Nieuw Terbregge” and their stadium, “Sparta Stadion”. Renovation works at the sports complex would include (re)developing the changing rooms, sports halls, medical rooms, offices, a player’s home, classrooms and the catering facilities. The stadium development would include an expansion of about 1,100 additional seats. It would also have the catering facilities, toilets, fan shop and skyboxes in the stadium expanded and updated.
• On 1 November 2018, Romania’s National Investment Company signed a contract to construct the new Giulesti Valentin Stanescu Stadium. The new stadium is reported to be worth around $23 million and will be constructed by a consortium of three local companies. The stadium will become one of the four stadiums in Bucharest that will be used for training during the EURO 2020 tournament. It will classify as a UEFA Category 4 stadium and will have a capacity of 14,000.
• After one week of crowdfunding via crowdrealestate.com, NAC Breda has raised €1.5 million. The initial goal was to raise €1.25 million to help to club purchase its home stadium, the Rat Verlegh Stadium. The stadium is currently owned by the municipality of Breda but the club has the exclusive right to acquire it for a total sum of €5.5 million until 31 May 2019.
• KV Kortrijk President, Joseph Allijns confirmed that construction on the club’s new 15,000 seat stadium will start by the end of 2020. 

Partner News

• The FBA, an ESSMA Partner, offers candidates an innovative and comprehensive Professional Master in Football Business with the objective to deliver them all the necessary tools and an optimal learning environment in order to succeed in the passionate and dynamic football industry. Candidates can apply until 31 January for the March 2019 intake.