Over half a dozen Premier League clubs increased ticket prices for the current 2025/26 campaign; meanwhile, 19 out of 20 of the top-flight sides increased their prices for the previous 2024/25 season.
We want to speak up for the fans and give fans a voice on this issue that is taking the ‘people’s game’ away from ordinary fans.
Jingle Bills: Are Ticket Prices Destroying the People’s Game?
In light of the growing disconnect between supporters and clubs, AskGamblers surveyed over 500 UK-based football fans from across the Premier League and EFL to reveal the true extent of supporter frustration on ticket prices.
We also conducted a financial analysis of each of the current 20 Premier League clubs to reveal which fans are most likely to show their club the red card within the next decade due to being financially out-priced by their beloved team.
As Christmas is the season of giving, and Christmas carolling has long been associated with community fundraising, we have launched the AskGamblers Christmas Choir.
This festive stunt is aimed at raising signatures, not money, for an online petition supporting football fans who have been affected by rising Premier League ticket prices and declining accessibility.
To bring this to life, the choir has performed a reworked version of Jingle Bells, featuring new lyrics based on our survey findings. Through this activation, we are calling on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to investigate how Premier League clubs should reserve a percentage of match day tickets for local fans with price protections.
The Issue of Affordability in English Football in 2025
Football is one of the UK’s most popular pastimes, with millions of supporters set to travel the length of the nation to support their club throughout the season.
The Premier League’s schedule is set to see 380 top-flight matches being played, but despite being famously named ‘the people's game’, an increasing number of football fans are feeling priced out by their beloved clubs.
The FSA (Football Supporters’ Association) report that top-flight ticket prices have increased by around 800% since the 1990s, and new research by AskGamblers has uncovered that almost two in five football fans have gone into some form of financial difficulty to afford a matchday ticket or season ticket.
Our survey found that just one in five (21%) football fans believe that attending matches is still very affordable, with over two-fifths (42%) actively considering giving up their season ticket due to price increases.
Almost one in ten (7%) fans no longer consider attending football matches as affordable, with one in three (32%) respondents stating that it is currently manageable but getting expensive.
Baby Boomers are being impacted the most by the rise in matchday tickets, as a third (33%) reported finding it hard to regularly afford attending matches, while just 1 in 10 (9%) Gen-X football fans believe that going to games is still very affordable.
Financial Sacrifices vs Fan Loyalty
However, football fans are also some of the most loyal people out there.
The data shows that, shockingly, almost two in five (38%) football fans reported having gone into some form of financial difficulty to afford a matchday ticket or season ticket to see their beloved club play live.
One in six (15%) also admitted to sacrificing essentials like food or bills, with one in ten (9%) said that they had gone into debt to afford tickets.
Within the survey, one in four (25%) millennials claimed that they would cut back on food essentials to be able to afford tickets; meanwhile, over one in five (21%) Gen-X football fans have also sacrificed essentials to pay for tickets.
As well as uncovering the sacrifices fans make, our investigation further revealed the cost of fan loyalty, with one in three (31%) willing to cut back on financial savings in order to afford tickets.
An additional one in three (32%) would cut back on social life or entertainment, whilst almost a third (31%) would cut back on financial savings. Fans are even willing to cut back on holidays if it means being able to go and support their team at a game, with one in five (20%) willing to make this commitment.
The Most Financially Impacted Fans
AskGamblers analysis found that over a dozen clubs increased season ticket prices for the current campaign, with fans of the promoted Leeds United facing the biggest hike of 14%.
Everton (12.36%), Sunderland (11.36%) also hiked their season ticket prices by over 10%. Crystal Palace fans saw a flat 10% increase, and Chelsea supporters faced an increase of 8.64%.
The Premier League Clubs with the Highest Predicted Ticket Prices by 2035/36
To demonstrate the dangers of ever-increasing ticket costs, AskGamblers conducted research to reveal what proportion of income local supporters face putting towards tickets over the next decade.
We analysed five years of ticket prices for all current Premier League clubs against average incomes in each club’s local area, predicting when fans' ticket costs are likely to exceed 5% (pre-tax) of average local income – the equivalent to an average household’s energy/gas costs per-year.
Teams with the Highest Predicted Ticket Prices by 2035/36:
- Arsenal projected to reach £3,832.85 (10.32% of income)
- Tottenham projected to reach £2,975.44 (8.01% of income)
- Chelsea projected to reach £2,959.61 (7.97% of income)
- Aston Villa projected to reach £2,530.73 (6.81% of income)
- Liverpool projected to reach £2,501.26 (6.73% of income)
Arsenal (5.50%) are forecasted to become the first side to charge fans over 5% of their annual income, with this currently projected to happen for the 2030/31 campaign.
North London rivals Tottenham (5%) are projected to reach the threshold the year later for the 2031/32 season, while Chelsea (5.32%) are forecasted to do so for 2032/33.
A further six clubs (Liverpool, Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle, Manchester United and Bournemouth) are forecasted to reach the figure during the 2033/34 season.
Can Clubs Prevent a Fan Exodus in 2026?
Through rising ticket prices, our survey already shows that some fans believe their club does not support them and instead prioritises tourists and corporate guests. In fact, almost a quarter (21%) of fans surveyed on this believe this.
This was further supported by news from November, which reported that over 100 fan groups urged English top-flight clubs to freeze ticket prices for the next two seasons, as fans from multiple clubs struggle to afford above-inflation increases.
Our investigation has shown that without urgent action, a fan exodus could be on the horizon; however, there is a chance their loyalty could be saved, as 72% of football fans stated that their connection to their club would increase if they froze or lowered ticket prices.
One in three (30%) baby boomers say that even if their club froze or lowered ticket prices, it wouldn’t increase their sense of loyalty or connection, but, for Gen-Z, almost two-thirds (65%) said it would.
Leading the fight against rising ticket prices in English football
We want to play our part and help the fans.
To prevent the downfall of the ordinary fan at Premier League games, we want to generate an online discussion. To do this, we have created a petition to the government to raise signatures on the rise in Premier League ticket prices & accessibility for local fans.
We are calling for fans to sign this so we can reach out to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to investigate how Premier League clubs should reserve a percentage of match day tickets for local fans with price protections.
It will look into allocating tickets to fans living within the relevant postcode, selling them at capped prices based on their club's median price. In turn, we look to help protect local fan culture and reduce dynamic pricing models.
Sign the petition at this link.
Methodology
We analysed five years of ticket prices for all current Premier League clubs, tracking how much prices have risen each season. We then compared these increases with average incomes in each club’s local area to calculate what share of supporters’ income goes toward attending matches.
Using recent price trends, we forecasted when ticket costs are likely to exceed 5% (pre-tax) of average local income, the equivalent of the average household’s energy/gas costs per year.
To understand how fans feel about rising costs, we also surveyed 502 UK-based football supporters from across the Premier League and EFL in November 2025. The survey, carried out by TLF, included fans of all ages, genders, income levels and regions.
Participants shared their views on affordability, price fairness and how rising costs are affecting their attendance.
