Tottenham missing potential opportunity to generate increased revenue after executive’s latest admission
It is fair to say that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a financial success, but a recent fan advisory board meeting has revealed the club is missing out on a potentially lucrative commercial deal.
Ever since Spurs tore down the old White Hart Lane and built a brand-new shiny stadium in its place, the club have seen a major increase in their financial fortunes.
Non-football-related events such as music concerts, boxing events and an NFL partnership, as well as an increased capacity for football, have all proven to be huge money-spinners.
This is demonstrated by a comparison of the club’s financial results across the past few years. For example, the club’s annual financial report from 2017 reveals that they generated £19million from Premier League gate receipts. Meanwhile, their most recent annual financial report from 2022 shows that they made £106.1million from all matchday receipts, an increase of £87.1million.
In 2017, the club’s sponsorship revenue was £57.4million, a total which rose to £126.1million in 2022. More eyes on the club and more visitors to their impressive stadium mean they can generate more commercial revenue. However, they are not currently taking full advantage of this potential.
A fan advisory board meeting took place on Tuesday 12 December, for which Tottenham Executive Director Donna Maria-Cullen was present, and Tottenham posted the minutes from this meeting to their official website (19 December). Various topics were discussed, with one in particular catching the eye.
Since the stadium was opened a sky bridge has hung high and proud above the pitch, but is yet to be put to any use.
As per the official minutes, when asked why there have been no developments with the sky bridge since the stadium opened, Maria-Cullen explained that “it would need to be linked to a commercial partnership – conversations around which are becoming more active due to the wide range of major events coming to the stadium – however, the Sky Bridge is not currently a priority.”
This does appear to be a missed opportunity for the club. The sky bridge is already built and is just currently waiting for a purpose. With the interest the stadium generates, any commercial deals would surely be beneficial to Spurs and therefore the more they have the better.
As a result, it seems odd that Tottenham are not treating an opportunity which is sitting right in their laps as a priority, although with Maria-Cullen admitting that conversations around the topic are “becoming more active,” this certainly seems like something to keep a close eye on.
In other Tottenham news, the club have finally received a fitness boost with a 100 per cent ace set to be available for selection this weekend.