Industry News

LaLiga shoots for attendance boost

LaLiga has extended its partnership with G2 Strategic consultancy firm in a bid to boost attendance figures in Spain’s top division.

G2 will advise clubs on developing new strategies to increase stadium occupancy and gate receipts.

The agreement expands on the original deal, which was first signed in November 2016, to include the participation in a committee of club executives. Their role will be to evaluate a range of innovations and new strategies designed to adapt ticketing policies to evolving demographic trends, and improve the experience of attending matches for a broader market segment, including women, families, Millennials and business.

Figures released by UEFA, European football’s governing body, show LaLiga sitting in fourth place for total attendance in 2016-17, just below the English Championship. It is one of four divisions to break the 10-million mark for aggregate attendance over the season.

The report also shows that Barcelona and Real Madrid were the first and fourth most attended clubs in Europe last season, respectively.

 

 

“We appreciate the fresh perspective that G2 has brought to the table,” said LaLiga president Javier Tebas. “We have worked with Mr. (Marshall) Glickman (G2 CEO) to design the second year of our work together with the objective of demonstrating to our clubs that the market can be significantly greater than only ‘natural demand’ from traditional football fans.”

G2 will also conduct workshops and sales training for all LaLiga clubs, addressing business planning and a range of related topics.

The consultancy firm will also work closely with six clubs in an effort to demonstrate how its principles and strategies can be successfully adapted to increase ticket demand and customer retention.

Marshall Glickman, G2’s chief executive, said: “I welcome the opportunity to act as an agent of change on behalf of LaLiga, which is clearly one of the great football competitions in the world. During our first year, we were able to establish the key principles, which we documented in a comprehensive document titled LaLiga Ticketing Strategy.

“We also had the opportunity to spend time in several club markets, and meet with executives at all levels, gaining a better understanding of the challenges they are facing. Over the 15 years we have been active in Europe, we have learned that our principles must be adapted to the specificity of each market. We appreciate the challenge and thank Tebas for his confidence.”

Meanwhile, G2 recently announced a two-year extension with Euroleague Basketball, following the launch of their new Business Operations & Club Services division. In addition, the company continues to be active in France, where the firm formed a consortium of nine clubs across football, rugby and basketball, and is also serving as an advisor to the City of Gresham, Oregon.

Image: Little Savage

(Modified: LaLiga logo added)