Is football in danger of pricing out fans? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 29, 2026 · 18 MIN

Is football in danger of pricing out fans?

from More than the Score · host BBC World Service

In the Premier League, Manchester United and Newcastle have increased season-ticket prices by 5% for 2026-2027, while Liverpool have taken the fairly unprecedented step of announcing price rises across the next three years - that decision has been met with protests from some supporters, including boycotting spending money inside Anfield Stadium. In Spain, a ticket to El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, can cost as much as €465 ($540).Football finance expert, Kieran Maguire, tells John Bennett why a new breed of football owner is more concerned with financial success than the community elements that make a club.Nils Kern, editor of Real Madrid fanzine Real Total, says the world's biggest clubs are in danger of losing their so called 'legacy fans' due to rising costs.Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula 1 to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Winter Olympic champion Elana Meyers Taylor, trailblazing Samoan athlete Alex Rose and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 29, 2026

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