Barça learns how to do business in Montjuïc just as it decides to leave.

BarcelonaBarça faced their exile on Montjuïc with a certain optimism. It was the summer of 2023, the team had just won the league title, and in recent months they had achieved magnificent ticket sales records at Camp Nou. The club was back in fashion, the pandemic was already history, and there was a desire to see football at the stadium. Therefore, the drop in capacity—since the Lluís Companys stadium could hold half the capacity—could be offset with a more aggressive pricing policy. Season tickets were raised, discussions were held with the technicians at BSM (the company that manages the stadium) to provide more seats than initially planned, and there were even plans to install screens so that seats with low or no visibility could be sold at affordable prices. On paper, it all made sense, and the numbers added up.

However, it soon became clear that this business policy made no sense, starting with the fact that the club's membership had turned its back on the team. Of the 81,000 season ticket holders at Camp Nou, only 6,000 initially purchased a pass. The number grew to 17,000 later, when prices were cut in half. Montjuïc was far away, not attractive to fans or tourists. And except for key matches like the Clásico against Real Madrid, attendance was modest for the rest of the matches. The club's offices were clutching their heads and calculating that, compared to the previous season, they would lose around 100 million euros in stadium revenue. This was a complete disaster for the club and made many people nervous. There was also tension among members of the board, who even complained to some journalists in the process. small committee"You've talked about going to Montjuïc as if it were Siberia." After all, Xavi's Barça was very inconsistent, and without good results, the Barcelona fans were demobilized.

The club's stay at Montjuïc was supposed to last a season and a half. In the end, it ended up being two whole seasons. Considering how business was going, it would be logical to think that extending the stay was a financial catastrophe. But the truth is that, a year later, the outlook has been radically different. And not just because the ball has gone in. The club has changed its ticket sales policy and, despite offering exorbitant ticket prices, has achieved record sales and revenue. "It took us a while to understand how Lluís Companys worked. It was a new stadium and a new environment. In the end, the work has yielded very good results," club sources told ARA. The goal at the beginning of the season was to reach 154 million euros for stadium expenses, planning to play at Montjuïc and Camp Nou. For the moment, the club has not yet made public the final revenue figure because the final invoices with BSM are being processed, but it will be well above the 126 million euros earned last season.

45,962 viewers on average

Early sales were key to the increase in ticket sales, which were 57% higher than the previous season, rising from €50 million to €81.2 million. "We know Montjuïc better and the spectators' routines, which are key factors in improving both ticket sales and revenue," they assure from the club's offices. The club put tickets on sale fifty days before the match to minimize uncontrollable negative factors such as injuries, suspensions, or weather. It also applied a variable pricing policy (Dynamic Pricing) based on the opponent, supply, and demand.

The strategy was risky because the average price per seat increased by 39%. However, 88% of the available seats per match were sold. Therefore, not only was more money brought in, but the stadium was also fuller. Last season, out of 24 matches played, half (12) failed to break the 40,000-seat mark. This season, out of 28 matches, only one was below that mark. And the season closed with an average of 45,962 fans per game, 5,000 more than the previous season (40,982).

It's been said lately that football is aimed only at tourists with deep pockets. And Barça refutes this theory with data. According to official club sources, 56% of total attendance was season ticket holders, members, or companions—this season, the number of season ticket holders has risen from 17,000 to 23,100—while 30% were tourists. The rest were Catalan fans who bought tickets sporadically. In other words, seven out of ten fans were locals. "Something curious happens. Catalans buy more tickets at once, probably because they go as a family, but they spend less in the countryside. Tourists, on the other hand, buy one or two, but besides being willing to pay more for these seats, they also spend more in the countryside. Up to 45% more," explains Barça.

A record-breaking classic

If they decide to spend more, it's because they can afford it. But also because, for them, seeing Barça live is a unique opportunity. And in addition to buying expensive seats—preferably in the grandstand—they're also tempted by the alternative packages the club offers. Be it the VIPs, which include a more comfortable seat and canapés during the match, or alternatives such as sitting next to the benches or watching the players from the locker room area.

The best example of this business is the day of the Clásico, when absolute revenue records were broken, starting with the 13.85 million in total revenue. A figure that surpasses the best achieved at Camp Nou. That day, only in products VIP 4.2 million were collected (the 1,200 seats of this type were sold at an average of 3,370 euros each) and the standard tickets that were on sale had an average price of 554 euros, excluding VAT. prohibitive.