The true cost of being a fan
Curious about the real cost of being a football fan? Through our ASK ESSMA initiative, we conducted an in-depth study into fan expenses across the “Big 5” Leagues, including the Premier League in the UK, Bundesliga in Germany, Ligue 1 in France, LaLiga in Spain and Serie A in Italy.
Our research covered 96 clubs and focused on several key expenses:
The average cost of attending a match for season card holders (cheapest season ticket)
Parking cost (if available)
Food and beverage (F&B) cost
The price of a replica shirt (without extra’s)
Discover the detailed breakdown of what it takes to support a team in our comprehensive analysis.
Comparing the most expensive and cheapest clubs per League within these themes:
| League | Cheapest ticket (avg. cost per match of season ticket) | Most expensive ticket (avg. cost per match of season ticket) | Lowest F&B cost | Highest F&B cost | Cheapest replica shirt | Most expensive replica shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Premier League | West Ham United (€19,58) | Arsenal FC (€61,52) | Ipswich town FC (€ 7,80) | West Ham United (€13,56) | Ipswich town FC (€60) | Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Fulham FC, Manchester United FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC (€96) |
Bundesliga | TSG Hoffenheim (€8,82)° | Borussia Dortmund (€14,71)° | Holstein Kiel (€6,00) | FC Bayern München (€9,71) | FC Heidenheim, TSG Hoffenheim, FC St Pauli (€80) | FC Bayern München (€100) |
Ligue 1 | Angres SCO (€5,88) | PSG (€27,06) | Insufficient Data | Insufficient Data | Angers SCO (€75) | Olympique Lyon (€115) |
LaLiga | Real Betis (€6,00) | Real Madrid (€71,05) | Insufficient Data | Insufficient Data | Villarreal CF (€64) | FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid (€100) |
Serie A | Empoli FC (€10,00) | ACF Fiorentina (€50,68) | Insufficient Data | Insufficient Data | Empoli FC (€50) | Inter Milan (€153) |
° Ticket prices based on season ticket for standing terrace
League Averages:
| League | Average Season ticket price (cost per match) | Average parking price (if available) | Average F&B cost | Average replica shirt cost | Total average fan cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
Premier League | €35,97 | €11,01 | €10,43 | €84,00 | €137,00 |
Bundesliga | €11,83 | €8,29 | €8,66 | €87,74 | €116,52 |
Ligue 1 | €13,05 | €2,57 | Insufficient Data | €93,67 | €108,04* |
LaLiga | €17,08 | €3,33 | Insufficient Data | €82,84 | €103,07* |
Serie A | €16,37 | €6,98 | Insufficient Data | €96,35 | €118,61* |
TOTAL° | €19,15 | €7,31 | € 9,09 | €88,91 | €116,98 |
* Without F&B cost
° Total average based on available data
Remarks:
- F&B: 1 beer and 1 food item
- Food in Premier League = Engish Pie, Food in Bundesliga = Brattwurst
- Shirt prices based on official adult replica shirt without ad-ons (base price)
Key-Findings:
Season ticket price:
Season ticket price (cost per match) in the Premier League significantly higher than the other leagues
Average price highest in Premier League (€35,97)
Average price lowest in Bundesliga (€11,83)
Parking:
61% of the stadiums is parking available in or around the stadium during games
26% of these offers free parking
Shirt:
Average price the lowest in LaLiga (€82,84)
Average price the highest in Serie A (€96,35)
F&B:
The higher the price of a ticket, the higher the F&B cost
Are you an ESSMA member and does your club have pressing questions or specific areas you would like to explore? Request an ASK ESSMA today and get the insights you need to make informed decisions that benefit both your club and your fans. https://essma.eu/about/services/strategic-support