Manchester United Hikes Season Tickets by 5% Amid Financial Pressure

Manchester United has announced a price hike for season ticket, just days after revealing plans for a new £2 billion ($2.6 billion) stadium.

Season ticket prices will rise by approximately 5%, while tickets for fans under 16 will remain unchanged. However, some senior ticket concessions have been removed.

The price hike comes after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned that the club would have run out of money by Christmas without his investment and cost-cutting measures. The club has also announced plans to convert select seats near the Old Trafford benches into hospitality tickets to boost revenue.

CEO Omar Berrada defended the decision, stating:

“We appreciate the loyal and patient support of our fans, and particularly our season ticket holders who represent the core of our match-going support base.”

“We understand the importance of their backing for the team and have worked hard to come up with a pricing package that is fair and reasonable.”

“After 11 consecutive years of price freezes, we increased prices by 5% for the past two seasons and intend to do the same for next season to offset continued rises in operating costs.”

Berrada also noted that ticket prices remain lower than they were a decade ago when adjusted for inflation and are comparable to those of other major clubs in northwest England.

In January, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) had previously urged Ratcliffe to freeze ticket prices, citing concerns over the financial burden on fans.

Acknowledging supporters’ concerns, Berrada said that with rising costs and ongoing financial challenges, it was necessary to implement a small increase.