Last month, Leeds United announced that changes are coming to Elland Road and revealed that they’ll increase stadium capacity as part of their upgrade plans. Moreover, an expert revealed the boost in revenue that will occur when these developments are done.
Elland Road has been Leeds’ home since 1919 and was bought by Greenfield Investment Pte Ltd in 2004. At the time, the club was part of the same parent company as Elland Road.
In March 2024, ownership of Elland Road Limited was transferred to Leeds United Football Club Limited, giving the club full control of the stadium for the first time since 2004.
Leeds’ new majority owners, 49ers Enterprises, bring valuable experience in stadium projects, having successfully opened Levi’s Stadium for their NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers.
More revenue incoming to Leeds?
Leeds could see a £14 million revenue boost following recent developments at Elland Road, according to football finance expert Dan Plumley. He suggests the club could earn an additional £615,000 in ticket sales per match, leading to an eight-figure windfall throughout the season.
“There are some assumptions to be made here,” Plumley told MOT Leeds News. “We are talking about all the seats being sold and we don’t know the parameters of what could be corporate hospitality or add-ons, etc.
“But if you look at the uplift in capacity, the redevelopment is going to up it by just over 15,000, 15,355 at full capacity and the average ticket price is around about £40. That’s going to generate Leeds an extra £615,000 per matchday, with some caveats as I’ve said. That would be over £14million uplift in matchday revenue per season, assuming that it was a 46-game Championship campaign.
“The season prior to, the last set of figures that we’ve got for 2023, they generated £30million in matchday income in total so it would add on a significant amount per matchday and obviously, that adds up. In the long-term, that’s a real positive and you get that bump season to season so you can the long-term gain.”
Although it will be an expensive project at Elland Road, it will set the club up for long-term financial benefits, regardless of whether they’re in the Premier League or still playing in the Championship.
