The season ticket boom: how Argentine football clubs manage to bring more and more people onto the pitch

The postcard is repeated every time one of the so-called big five plays at home: MonumentalTHE candy boxHe CylinderHe Liberators of America and the Gasometer They look full. It is known: there is a boom in audiences in football stadiums from the pandemic to today, the same thing that happens with recitals, festivals and even with cinemas. Furthermore, it must be said, the lack of presence of the visiting public brought the families closer to the camps.

In recent times, an increasingly widespread figure among members has expanded: the season ticket holder. River, Mouth, racing, Independent AND Saint Lawrence There are record numbers of these people who, in addition to paying the membership fee month after month, shell out large sums of money to secure a place for 6 or 12 months, depending on the policy of each institution. One question remains: is football becoming an unpopular sport?

At the end of last year, River announced that it had exceeded 350 thousand members (195,649 direct members and 155,004 members of the Somos River community) and that with this figure it positioned itself as the club with the most members in the country, on the continent and second in world behind Real Madrid.

“The digitalisation of the link between the Club and its fans through RiverID – without intermediaries – has made it possible to identify all people and establish a set of clear and transparent rules that optimize the relationship between supply and demand with respect to access to match tickets official, giving all Members and Somos River the opportunity to attend a certain number of matches -despite the immense number-, with a high level of fan rotation every Sunday. All this with just 10 clicks and without physically collecting the ticket or in-person procedures.”he said months ago at Clarion The secretary of the River, Stefano Di Carlo.

With the renovations, the Monumental has the capacity to accommodate almost 85,000 people. And they are close 45,000 members who have your place in the Monumental; That is, the 6-month subscription that allows you to attend all the League Cup matches, as well as giving priority in the Copa Libertadores duels. Some prices? Belgrano Baja, $202,000; Plateas Altas Belgrano and San Martín, $58,000; Sivori Alta, $28,000.

The Bombonera (with a capacity of 57,000 spectators) is usually too small for the immense number of members and fans that Boca has. Currently, Xeneize has 327,644 members (direct and adherent), according to the latest AFA report from December 2023. Something peculiar happens: the 19,000 subscriptions available are sold out and the waiting list is in the thousands. The same thing happens with garages. Preferred seats, those above replacement desks, have annual values ​​ranging from $508,000 to $969,700. An average booth in the industry in front of banks can cost between $372,000 and $472,000, depending on the location. The cheapest? The end of the Platea Alta costs $200,000.

Independiente’s numbers are historical in nature: 140,000 members and 13,800 members. The Ricardo Bochini has a capacity of 45,000 seats and the 22,000 popular seats are exchanged free of charge by members. Then season ticket holders appear (estimated to be 15,000 in a few weeks) and the rest are sold per ticket. A Platea Baja Bochini has a six-month value of $207,000, while the Alta costs $129,000. An official box? $368,000.

“When we arrived at the club there were 99 thousand members and we reached 140 thousand. In one year we made 40 thousand new ones, almost a full field. Something similar happens with season tickets: the average was 6 thousand ( except in 2018, when the Copa Libertadores was played (which were 8,200) and today we have reached 15,000. In addition we have recovered 8,000 defaulters. Over time I think we will reach a fully paid phase”, he says Clarion Martino Muscio, member of the Board of Directors and marketing secretary of the club. He adds: “Revenue from membership fees generates regularity and predictability in the coffers and represents 55% of the club’s recurring revenue. People contribute, according to official values, almost 15 million dollars a year.”

Others who celebrate these days are the leaders of Saint Lawrence, an institution that also reaches record numbers in history. Boedo has more than 80,000 members and counting 20,000 subscribers. The plan is six-monthly, includes the League Cup and the first phase of the Copa Libertadores, and the club warns that there are no more places in the Cabecera Este (local), the Platea Sur Baja (80,000 dollars) and the Platea Norte Baja (between $110,000 and $140,000).

In racing The strong economic crisis that the country is going through has made itself felt a little more and the number of annual subscribers has decreased: from 13,742 in 2023 it has gone to 11,676. Of course: the number of members continues to increase and currently stands at 91,784. A significant fact: per Conmebol regulation, the number of protocol places has been increased for this season. Prices? The A plate, sold out, had a value of 360,000 dollars with the possibility of payment in 6 interest-free installments. Meanwhile, Platea E, the cheapest, costs $108,864.

In Huracán there is no subscription system, but the Tomás Adolfo Ducó has an average of 22,000 spectators. The number of members, meanwhile, is growing more and more: 37 thousand, according to the latest record.

The interior also beats

Full stadiums are not a peculiarity that occurs in the Federal Capital or Greater Buenos Aires: even in Córdoba, La Plata and Rosario games are played with full pitches.

Córdoba has 3 teams in the top category and this competition feeds them. Workshops It doesn’t offer subscriber status, but there are four different member categories; With 3 of them fans have the chance to secure a ticket to the Mario Kempes. Therefore, of the 96,000 registered players, 62,100 are authorized to take the field. This year, it is clarified, T will play the Copa Libertadores.

The Giant Alberdi – which is undergoing constant and major renovations – turns furious blue every time Belgrano appears: it has almost 62,000 members of which 34,000 are season ticket holders. Institute? 37,000 members and 12,000 season tickets.

The passion in Rosario is as high as anyone. Central rosary He plays in the Libertadores and has already sold 13,600 season tickets for the 84,728 members. Newell’swhose star is Ever Banega, has just exceeded 10,000 seats (80,000 subscribers) and surpassed its historical record.

“With the usual enthusiasm at each championship that begins, thousands of lepers have renewed or purchased a new season ticket and we have reached a historic number of seats sold at the beginning of the season”he posted this week on his official social networks.

In La Plata both Estudiantes and Gimnasia had to hang up the sold out sign regarding season tickets. 12,500 places were filled at the UN and 4,500 at the Juan Carmelo Zerillo.