Firstly, we want to thank you all for your support throughout the 2023/24 season.
It was a record-breaking season and you pushed us all the way, whether that was at Emirates Stadium or supporting us around the world.
It was also another season of unprecedented demand for tickets which far outstripped supply. With the season over, we wanted to provide a ticketing update.
Ticketing ballot
Our goal remains the same: to put tickets in the hands of our supporters, with a focus on our paying Silver and Red members.
At the start of the 2023/24 season, we introduced a ballot system to help us achieve this goal. This followed extensive discussions with our Arsenal Advisory Board, Fans’ Forum and Ticketing Working Group.
We believe this is the fairest way to allocate tickets to Silver and Red Members. It enables members to register in their own time, ahead of a clear deadline, addressing the problem of the previous system which required members to be online to join a queue at a set time.
Key ballot stats
After the first season of the ballot, we are able to take a full view of its impact in helping to allocate tickets in the fairest way possible and ensure tickets are going to paying members.
For anyone using a screen reader, a full list of the ticketing stats can be found at the bottom of this page.
Supporter feedback
Throughout the 2023/24 season, we made changes to how we allocate tickets, based on feedback from supporters.
Mid-way through the season, we limited Ticket Exchange to members who were unsuccessful in the ballot. This gave members priority and more opportunities to those who were regularly attempting to access tickets via the ballot.
We also removed the 10% fee for season ticket holders to use Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer, encouraging greater seat utilisation and allowing for more tickets to become available for members through these platforms.
We have implemented a functionality for members to be able to choose their top two price band preferences that they wish to purchase as part of a successful ballot application.
Touting
The ballot has also helped us take robust action against illegal ticket touting and bot activity, as the system identifies suspicious activity before tickets are allocated.
During the 2023/24 season, we banned 20,000 members and 54 season ticket holders for attempting to obtain tickets in unauthorised ways. This action is helping to ensure that tickets go to genuine supporters at their correct value.
Next season we will continue to increase our investment in anti-touting measures, including developing greater online protection, delivering more boots-on-the-ground operations and dedicating more internal resource to take action.
Seat utilisation
With demand for tickets so high, we’re also committed to ensuring every seat is used. We can confirm that 24 season tickets were cancelled last season due to lack of use. During the 2023/24 season, supporters had to use their season ticket (attend themselves or make their season ticket available on Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer) for 17 out of 22 matches. For the 2024/25 season, this will change to 20 out of 23.
Next season
The introduction of the ballot was a necessary and positive step, with the data showing improved ticket access for paying members.
The ballot will continue next season, and following consultation with the Arsenal Advisory Board, members who applied to 20 or more ballots and were not successful once will be invited to purchase a ticket from a select number of fixtures before Christmas. This involves around 300 members and ensures those who were unfortunate to miss out will be offered the opportunity to attend a match.
Our Managing Director, Rich Garlick, said: “Demand for tickets continues to grow, but we’re pleased to see that the data from the 2023/24 season supports our decision to introduce the ballot as the fairest and most equitable way to allocate tickets for our members.
“It’s encouraging to see that 20% more Red Members were able to access tickets as a result of the ballot, and only two members who applied for all 25 ballots were unable to secure tickets via the ballot or Ticket Exchange.
“As we move forward, we’ll continue to work with the Arsenal Advisory Board and Ticketing Working Group to keep supporter experience at the forefront of our efforts to make tickets accessible. We’ll also continue to review our data as we aim to strike the right balance and identify areas where we can make further improvements.”
“We’d like to thank the Arsenal Advisory Board, Fans’ Forum and Ticketing Working Group for their input and representation of Arsenal supporters on the important matter of ticketing.”
The Arsenal Advisory Board, said: "We welcome the opportunity to have reviewed ticketing with the Club at the end of the season and this subsequent publication of further information about ballot outcomes.
"At a time of unprecedented demand, this transparency allows for Arsenal supporters to have a better understanding of the ticket sale arrangements and to feedback their ideas for further improvement.
"In response to our ongoing concerns about ticket touting we welcome the Club's commitment to invest even more in anti-touting measures next season, including dedicating resources online and on-the-ground. It is an important topic we wish to return to in future meetings.
"We will continue to represent our members on ticketing through the AAB and Ticketing Working Group, and welcome discussions about proposals for moving to potential greater flexibility for season tickets."
Full ballot statistics
- 420,000 – tickets accessed by members via the ballot, Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer
- 174,000 – members who applied for at least one ballot
- 42,000 – members who only applied for one ballot
- 20,000 – members who were unsuccessful in the ballot but later acquired a ticket via Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer for the same fixture
- 93,000 – members obtained tickets via the ballot, Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer
- 73,000 – members who were successful in the ballot at least once
- 6 – members who applied to all 25 ballots and were not successful once
- 5.8 – average number of ballots each member applied to
- 2 – members who applied to all 25 ballots and were not successful or able to get a ticket via Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer
- 13,000 – more Red Members were able to obtain a ticket in the 2023/24 season compared to the 2022/23 season (an increase of 20%)
- x3 – Silver Members were on average three times more likely to obtain tickets via the ballot vs Red Members.
- There were an average 5,800 Silver Members at Emirates for each home game.
- 10,450 – total accessibility tickets made available to members via the ballot, Ticket Exchange or Ticket Transfer
- 9,000 – average number of tickets purchased via Ticket Exchange or transferred to members via Ticket Transfer for Premier League Fixtures.
- 4,200 – average number of tickets purchased via Ticket Exchange for Premier League fixtures
- 4,800 – average numbers of tickets transferred to members for Premier League fixtures
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
