A new study has revealed the most expensive Premier League teams for fans to support, with Aston Villa appearing in tenth place in the ranking.
Experts at the casino comparison site Compare.bet, examined a variety of factors for each team in the Premier League to determine the final ranking. These factors included the average cost of a season ticket, membership, merchandise, and the average price for a pie and a pint at each team’s stadium.
The study also considered the cost of an annual Now TV sport subscription, which is £335.94, and added this to each team’s total cost. Aston Villa is named as the tenth most expensive team for fans to support, with a total average cost of £1,289.83.
According to the study, it would cost fans an average of £5 to purchase a pint at Villa Park, highlighting the stadium’s costly prices for Aston Villa fans. Steven McQuillan, the lead writer at Compare.bet, commented: “Dedicated football fans are the reason this sport is so unique, but these costly prices may be off-putting for many fans.
“From soaring season ticket prices to the rising cost of merchandise and TV sport subscriptions, this study highlights that supporting your favourite football team is becoming a luxury that many fans can no longer afford. It has become a common criticism that the Premier League is starting to price out local fans in favour of making as much profit as possible. This means that local fans can no longer bear to pay the extortionate prices to see the team they have supported all their lives.
“With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, being a football fan in 2024 shouldn’t be a luxury. Hopefully, in future years, we will see a decline in these prices, but for the time being, it’s clear that this is an issue that needs to be addressed by these teams.”
According to the study, Tottenham Hotspur is the most expensive team in the Premier League for fans to support, totalling an average annual cost of £1,959.30. The study found that the team has the most expensive merchandise in the Premier League, costing fans an average total of £205.60 for the team’s home and away kits.
Arsenal is named as the second most expensive team for fans to support, with an average annual cost of £1,883.72. The research found that the team has the most expensive season ticket in the Premier League, costing fans an average of £1,394.47.
Arsenal’s home stadium, Emirates Stadium, also has some of the most expensive pint prices, costing fans an average of £6.30 per pint. Fulham is the third most expensive Premier League team for fans, with a total cost of £1,744.38.
The study found that the team has one of the most expensive season tickets in the study, setting fans back by £1,230.77. Fulham also has a costly membership price, with fans paying £50 per year.
West Ham is named as the fourth most expensive team in the Premier League, totalling an average annual cost of £1,446.67. West Ham’s home stadium, London Stadium, has the most expensive prices in the Premier League for a pie and pint.
According to the study, purchasing a pint at London Stadium will cost fans an average of £6.30, while purchasing a pie will cost an average of £5. Chelsea appears in fifth place in the ranking, with an average cost of £1,386.37.
According to the study, the team has a costly average fee for a season ticket, setting fans back by £879.29 per year. The team’s home stadium also has some of the most expensive pint prices in the study, charging fans an average of £5.70 per pint.
Manchester City places sixth in the ranking, with a total annual cost of £1,359.59. The team has some of the highest prices for season tickets, costing fans an average of £848.75 per year.
Manchester United is the seventh most expensive team for fans to support, costing an average of £1,352.02 per year. The study found that the team has some of the highest prices for merchandise, with the team’s away kit costing an average of £81.29.
Manchester United also has a costly membership fee, setting fans back by £50 each year. Liverpool is the eighth most expensive team for fans to support, with an average total cost of £1,325.92.
The research found that it would cost fans £123.08 to purchase the team’s official home and away kits, making Liverpool one of the most expensive teams in the Premier League to support. Ranking ninth is Newcastle United, with an annual cost of £1,296.07.
The team placed highly for having an expensive season ticket cost, charging fans an average of £812 per year. Other expensive teams to support include Bournemouth, with a total cost of £1,268.65, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with a total average cost of £1,242.98.
Meanwhile, Ipswich Town is named the cheapest team in the Premier League for fans to support, with a total cost of only £985.21 per year. Due to the team only recently being promoted to the Premier League, it costs an average of £590.93 to purchase a season ticket for Ipswich Town.
The team also has some of the cheapest prices for merchandise, costing fans a total of £72.55 to purchase both official home and away kits. Other relatively inexpensive teams to support include Brentford, with a total cost of £1,001.27, and Crystal Palace, with a total average cost of £1,101.06.
