Football’s New Economy: how clubs turn experiences into profit

Modern football clubs have long stopped relying solely on ticket sales and TV deals. From selling personalized bricks and wedding packages to turning rooftops into tourist attractions, the business of football has become an industry of experiences.

In September 2025, Tottenham Hotspur announced a partnership with Sports Illustrated Tickets – an American ticketing platform linked to the Sports Illustrated brand (yes, the same one known for its swimsuit covers). The company secured naming rights for the stadium’s east stand for 12 years, with the deal valued by industry analysts at around $6 million per year.

Instead of selling naming rights for the entire stadium – as most clubs do – Tottenham decided to monetize each stand separately. The move is part of The Collective, a program under which every part of the arena gets its own sponsor, visual identity, and media presence. It’s a logical step for a club that built a £1.2 billion stadium, one of the most expensive in Europe and nearly three times over its initial budget. After such an investment, selling naming rights to a single sponsor, like Arsenal or Atalanta did, simply isn’t enough. Dividing the stadium into separate branded zones promises steadier and more diversified revenue streams.

But Tottenham’s move is just the tip of the iceberg. Modern clubs have learned to monetize not only the game itself but also everything that surrounds it – emotions, memories, and even personal stories of their supporters.

Everton, for instance, launched the “Everton Way” project, allowing fans to purchase personalized tiles embedded around their new stadium. The starting price was £65 per tile. Supporters could engrave their names, dates, or short messages, literally making their memories part of the club’s architecture. Juventus followed a similar idea with its “Mattoni della Memoria” initiative during the construction of Allianz Stadium, offering fans commemorative bricks for the walkway leading to the arena. While exact revenues are undisclosed, the stadium itself has generated roughly €800 million in total income since opening – including ticket sales, sponsorships, and events.

Some clubs went further and turned their arenas into venues for special occasions – not concerts, but something far more personal. Manchester United, Real Madrid, West Ham, and others offer full-scale wedding packages at their stadiums, from on-pitch ceremonies and photo sessions to banquets in VIP suites. Depending on the package, prices range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of euros. For many clubs, such events bring in as much revenue per year as an average home match against a mid-table opponent.

Another growing source of income is fan tokens. Platforms like Socios.com let clubs issue digital assets that fans can buy and use to participate in team-related polls – from choosing kit colors to picking the pre-match playlist or even the design of the team bus. Barcelona and PSG were among the first to adopt this model. Barcelona struck a deal with Socios, receiving a $100 million investment in exchange for a 24.5% stake in its media division, Barça Studios. Prior to that, the club had already earned more than $39 million from the sale of its own $BAR tokens – one of the most successful examples of monetizing fan engagement in the digital era.

Other clubs have learned to profit from pure adrenaline. Dinamo Zagreb opened a “Roof Walk Experience” at Maksimir Stadium, where visitors can walk along secured paths 40 meters above the ground and enjoy panoramic views of the city. Tottenham, again, went one step further. The club launched The Dare Skywalk, a rooftop experience allowing visitors to climb 46 meters above the pitch and walk along a transparent platform suspended over the field. Tickets start at £39, or £99 for those who want to abseil back down on a harness. Each year, over 100,000 people take part, generating an estimated £4–5 million in annual revenue.

Football today has gone far beyond sport. It has become an entertainment ecosystem where clubs sell not just tickets but emotions, a sense of belonging, and unforgettable experiences. More than teams, they are now brands – and the most unconventional ways to make money may still be ahead.