The General Secretary of FIFA, Jerome Valcke, has admitted ticket sales for the 2010 World Cup have been a shambles, and changes will be made for the 2014 event.
And ticket prices will be cut in an effort to fill stadiums in South Africa this summer. According to the Telegraph, Valcke also admitted that running ticket sales through agency Match had not been successful:
He also acknowledged that Fifa may have made mistakes in the way it had run ticketing and travel arrangements. Fifa granted agency Match exclusive rights to sell travel and ticket packages for the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, but its near-monopoly on hotel rooms has seen supporters asked to pay high prices. Valcke predicted that Match was unlikely to make a profit from South Africa.
“We have good lessons to learn from 2010 and they will help us in 2014. For the World Cup 2010 we will have to sell the tickets to fans direct, we will think about setting up Fifa ticketing centres around the world.”
The Telegraph doesn’t mention that the original decision to award Match the exclusive rights generated considerable controversy. It just so happens that Match is part-owned by Swiss company Infront Sports & Media, whose president and CEO is Philippe Blatter — yep, nephew of one Sepp Blatter.
Last month, Andrew Jennings reported on Match — who stood to earn as much as $342m from the contract — and their expensive surcharges that have raised prices for everyone.
Travel agents have to pay MATCH $30,000 just to be allowed to buy tickets to package with rooms and sometimes flights. Then they have to pay up to 35% surcharge on every ticket MATCH sells them, boosting a ticket with a face value of $160 to as much $244. So MATCH can take up to $84 from each fan.
The company has also established an iron grip on rooms. Hotel chains and Bed & Breakfast want business from fans and have signed up with MATCH – and must pay them 30% of their gross charges – so driving up prices again.
Any thoughts on this, Sepp or Philippe?
Just think how much money they’d have made if the World Cup was in a location people actually WANTED to go to.
Methinks that they’ll learn from this when Brazil comes around, yes. They’ll gouge people even more.
Tom, I love the transparency and great article, but……Soccernomics showed up all that the sport is a peanuts business compared to other cement mixing ventures.
Another reading of these events is that Match is not turning a profit, and Sepp had to twist a family members arm to take on this venture in order to keep overhead low.
What were the profits like for ticket sales in years past? Also, the complaints about high hotel prices are somewhat hysterical – people are going to the World Cup and don’t expect to pay a premium? If you want a cheap hotel in South Africa, go in August.
Wow, sounds like Ticketmaster must have consulted on this project.
FIFA made a mistake? Say it ain’t so!
Sounds like another great reason to not go to South Africa or Brazil for the WC. The last thing I want to do is pay FIFA a premium.
While there is generally a good argument for “being part of a live event”, football fanatics should consider that South Africa has the highest murder rate in the world (after Colombia), and that during the World Cup, armies of crooks from every country south of the Sahara will be making concerted efforts to trek south to take advantage of the “easy pickings” this event promises to offer.
My advice for international football fans (from someone who lived in SA for 30 years) is stay at home, and use a small part of the cash you would otherwise have spent on being there, to buy a 42-inch HD plasma TV. You can watch every game in glorious hd colour, and do so SAFELY in the comfort of your own home.
And you get to keep the new TV and watch sport long after this FIFA fiasco is over.
I dıdnt understand. We are second people but they are fırts class:(
@Health-n-Safety, where did you get that South Africa has the highest murder rate? (Oh, and if it is the highest how can it be after Columbia? Uh, someone say idiot?) (If that is fact, then 90% of those murders are in the Cape Flats, a tiny little point in SA)
@KT you clearly do not travel much. Do you even know which continent South Africa is on? Have you ever seen pictures of South Africa?
I personally am glad that people like you guys have not come to my beautiful country for the World Cup.
The international people that have come have enjoyed the hospitality and beauty here, as well as the atmosphere, something that is probably “amazing” in your safe little living room.
Cheers.
Health-n-Safety, where did you get that South Africa has the highest murder rate? (Oh, and if it is the highest how can it be after Columbia? Uh, someone say idiot?) (If that is fact, then 90% of those murders are in the Cape Flats, a tiny little point in SA)
thk you
thk for comment