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The overall amount a club makes from hosting a game on its property is known as matchday income. This revenue is primarily composed of box office receipts, but it also includes sales of goods, food, and beverages. The Premier League is home to some of the best stadiums in the world, enabling teams to make significant profits from their home games. 

Premier League Football Clubs Matchday Revenue Data 2022/23

The Premier League is the top professional football league in England, and it is known for its high attendance figures and lucrative matchday revenues. According to the data provided by Sponsorlytix, Manchester United has the highest average attendance among Premier League clubs, with 74,498 fans per game. Arsenal is second with an average attendance of 59,898, followed by Liverpool with 52,983. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City round out the top five, with average attendances of 54,216 and 54,143, respectively.

Gate revenues are by far the most significant source of matchday revenue. The stadium’s capacity and the club’s overall standing are a couple of the factors that affect how important this is to different clubs. For instance, Premier League teams with larger stadiums can accommodate more fans, which generates more revenue.

When it comes to club classification, larger clubs typically charge patrons more for tickets. This is due to the principle of supply and demand. A team with elite players (such as Chelsea or Manchester City) will draw more spectators to the game than teams like Burnley or Brighton (with all due respect to their loyal fanbases).

In the Premier League, the host team is the only one that earns revenue from admission fees. Each club hosts 19 league games each season, and they are all eligible to receive the revenue from those games. Chelsea generates the most revenue from match-going supporters in the Premier League, earning more than £1,600 per fan at Stamford Bridge each season through ticket sales, merchandising, and food and drink sales.

Chelsea has the fifth-highest average attendance, with 40,437 fans per game, while West Ham United has the seventh-highest with 58,336. Newcastle United and Southampton follow with average attendances of 51,121 and 30,435, respectively. Brighton and Everton have the same average attendance of 30,425 and 39,043, respectively, while Leicester City and Crystal Palace have average attendances of 31,814 and 25,455, respectively.

Despite the extraordinary increases in revenue that Premier League teams have seen due to television arrangements, match-related money is still a significant part of their overall revenues, and they want to see it increase.

Premier League Football Clubs Matchday Revenue 2021/22

	Club	Average Attendance	Average Income / Game
	Manchester United	74,498	£3.96m
	Arsenal	59,898	£3.1m
	Liverpool	52,983	£3.01m
	Tottenham Hotspur	54,216	£2.92m
	Chelsea	40,437	£2.08m
	Manchester City	54,143	£2.08m
	West Ham United	58,336	£1.23m
	Newcastle United	51,121	£1.9m
	Southampton	30,435	£0.77m
	Brighton & Hove Albion	30,425	£0.77m
	Everton	39,043	£0.59m
	Leicester City	31,814	£0.59m
	Crystal Palace	25,455	£0.5m
	Fulham	24,371	£0.47m
	Wolverhampton Wanderers	31,030	£0.46m
	Watford	20,016	£0.44m
	Cardiff City	31,408	£0.37m
	Burnley	20,534	£0.36m
	Huddersfield Town	23,340	£0.25m
	AFC Bournemouth	10,532	£0.21m

Source: Sponsorlytix

Clubs that have experienced significant gains in matchday revenue over the past ten years have made significant investments during that time. For example, the reconstruction of Anfield’s main stand in 2016, which added 8,000 extra seats and more hospitality, helped Liverpool’s revenue from the game climb by 63%, from £974 to £1,589 per fan. The Reds also debuted a brand-new superstore and fan area in 2016.

In order to increase capacity to 55,000 and provide more profitable hospitality options, Manchester City renovated the South Stand at the Etihad in 2015. This project included the addition of a third deck, which helped increase matchday revenue per fan by 184% in ten years, from £358 to £1,016. However, the club had a significantly lower starting point than its Big Six competitors.

City has also improved their game when it comes to corporate hospitality. They invented the Tunnel Club concept, which debuted in 2017 and cost £15,000 per person that season. Using a “guest tunnel,” ticket holders can enter the field while the teams are on the field and observe the players in the tunnel.

It’s interesting to note that Tottenham Hotspur virtually quadrupled their matchday revenue before relocating to their new home and during the two seasons they were situated at Wembley Stadium. Following the inauguration of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which offers unparalleled food and drink facilities as well as a selection of premium seats, Spurs’ anticipated matchday revenue is likely to soar.

In contrast, Manchester United’s revenue has barely changed over the past ten years, going from £1,445 to £1,488. Old Trafford has received relatively little investment during this time, and the club has frequently come under fire from supporters for the lack of upgrades since 2006, many of whom have complained of a leaky roof.

Considering the construction of new stadiums or the expansion of existing ones are teams like Liverpool, West Ham, Chelsea, Leicester City, Manchester City, Everton, and Manchester United as they want to increase revenue from games.

In 2017, Chelsea received planning approval for a new stadium with a capacity of 60,000. However, the club decided not to go ahead with the project after Roman Abramovich, the club’s former owner, was denied a UK visa. Instead, the club decided to create new premium seating options within the existing 41,000-capacity Stamford Bridge stadium.

As a result, a tier one ticket on and near the halfway line now costs £3,900 per seat, up from the previous price of £1,250 in the West Stand Upper Tier. The club’s new American owners, led by Todd Boehly, who purchased the team for $5.3 billion in the summer, plan to begin construction on the new stadium as soon as possible.

Source: Sponsorlytix

Fulham has the 14th-highest average attendance with 24,371 fans per game, while Wolverhampton and Watford have average attendances of 31,030 and 20,016, respectively. Cardiff City and Burnley follow with average attendances of 31,408 and 20,534, respectively, while Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth have average attendances of 23,340 and 10,532, respectively.

In terms of average matchday income per game, Manchester United leads the way with £3.96 million. Arsenal is second with £3.1 million, followed by Liverpool with £3.01 million. Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea round out the top five, with average matchday incomes of £2.92 million and £2.08 million, respectively. Manchester City has the same average matchday income as Chelsea, with £2.08 million.

West Ham United has the seventh-highest average matchday income with £1.23 million, followed by Newcastle United with £1.9 million and Southampton with £0.77 million. Brighton and Everton have the same average matchday income of £0.77 million and £0.59 million, respectively, while Leicester City and Crystal Palace have average matchday incomes of £0.59 million and £0.5 million, respectively.

Fulham has the 14th-highest average matchday income with £0.47 million, while Wolverhampton and Watford have average matchday incomes of £0.46 million and £0.44 million, respectively. Cardiff City and Burnley follow with average matchday incomes of £0.37 million and £0.36 million, respectively, while Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth have average matchday incomes of £0.25 million and £0.21 million, respectively.

Overall, the Premier League clubs generate significant revenue from matchday income, with the top clubs earning millions of pounds per game. This revenue is largely generated through ticket sales, as well as concessions and other matchday-related activities. The high attendance figures at these clubs also contribute to their overall financial success, as the more fans that attend games, the more revenue is generated.