Innovating the Game: the Football Club That Introduced the 'Netflix of Season Ticketing'

Fan attendance throughout Europe saw remarkable heights last season, witnessing the establishment of new records in several European leagues. One particular European club stood out in the 2022/23 season by achieving a record-breaking average attendance among football clubs in Denmark and the broader Scandinavian region.

FC Copenhagen achieved an average of 28,860 spectators during the 2022-23 season matches, marking the highest-ever cumulative crowd across the region. This achievement comes as no surprise for the club, given its notable innovation in ticketing sales strategies. This Danish top-tier team was indeed the pioneer in introducing a subscription model to their fans, taking inspiration from the approach employed by platforms like Netflix and Spotify, but adapting it to season tickets. With monthly payments, no long-term commitment, and automatic renewals, the model pioneered by FC Copenhagen is truly one of a kind!

We had the opportunity to converse with Mikkel Bjerre, the Ticketing & Customer Service Manager at FC Copenhagen. He is the pioneer behind this subscription-based model in Europe, a concept that has subsequently been adopted by a few other clubs and leagues on the continent. Considering his 8 years of experience within club football, we set out to address a crucial question: How can professional football clubs explore new approaches to selling season tickets in order to increase ticketing revenues and enhance fan attendance?

FC Copenhagen introduced the "subscription model" during the 2018/19 season. Could you provide more details about the circumstances regarding fan attendance during that period? What challenges did you encounter, and, more importantly, how did you come up with the idea?

To be honest, the initial reason we wanted to transition to a subscription-based ticketing model was that we observed a recurring challenge every summer when renewing season tickets. Despite our efforts to enhance our sales techniques and improve communication with season ticket holders by collecting more detailed information about them, we still faced a significant 10-12% drop in renewals each summer.

Furthermore, we aimed to boost the number of season ticket holders. It was consistently challenging to engage with fans during the summer break when they were on holiday and spending money on various other activities rather than football. In 2018, our average attendance was 15,000, while the stadium's full capacity was 38,000, indicating a substantial untapped potential.

Another hurdle was targeting younger age groups. We had previously experimented with initiatives such as price reductions and ticket giveaways, but these efforts weren't particularly effective.

These were the primary issues we sought to address, and we realized that adopting a subscription model could swiftly resolve these challenges. We recognized that football fans' loyalty extended beyond a single season. Therefore, the idea was to offer the right product to the right fans and provide them with a flexible payment option rather than forcing them into a subscription model. We wanted to give fans the choice.

Your club observed a substantial difference in fan attendance before and after the introduction of the subscription model (approximately +184%). Could you explain how this remarkable change was achieved and the specific impact that the subscription model had on fan attendance?

When we initially implemented the subscription model, we had approximately 8,000 season ticket holders for the full season. In the first year of launching the subscription model, this number increased to 10,000 by the 1st of September, our official deadline for season tickets. However, since we continued selling season tickets after this date, the number continued to rise well above this initial count later in the season

One of the significant advantages of the subscription model is that it can be sold throughout the season. Unlike the traditional model where prices decrease as the season progresses, with the subscription, it remains affordable and fair for fans to join even in the middle of the season.

Additionally, during Euro 2021, the Danish National team performed well, and there was extensive media coverage, especially after the unfortunate incident involving Christian Eriksen. This increased the overall discussion and interest in football.

After the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, when we were limited to 12,500 spectators due to stadium capacity constraints, we were able to sell tickets for the full stadium capacity. We successfully sold 18,000 tickets, including both season tickets and subscriptions. This marked the beginning of a snowball effect. An almost full stadium drastically improved the atmosphere and overall fan experience. We even doubled the capacity of our ultra section, which played a significant role in enhancing the atmosphere. As the saying goes, "People attract people," and the new atmosphere now resembles that of major clubs in Europe. This attracted fans from various backgrounds, whether they were local supporters, visitors from abroad, or fans of other clubs in the country.

Furthermore, despite earlier success on the pitch, such as winning league titles and participating in European competitions, it was truly after the launch of the subscription model that we clearly observed a positive upturn in sales and attendance.

In terms of marketing campaigns, we've dedicated substantial effort to identifying look-alike profiles, targeting individuals with similar characteristics to our existing subscribers. This approach has helped us continually increase the number of subscribers.

When discussing the subscription model itself, how does it differ from a traditional ticketing model, and what are the advantages for both fans and the club?

From the fans' perspective, the primary advantage is cost-effectiveness. Instead of paying for the entire season upfront, fans only need to pay for the upcoming months (note: there is a 6-month binding period at the start). This means fans have a guarantee of six months for payments, but they only pay for one month ahead. In Denmark, subscription prices are relatively affordable compared to salaries and the cost of living, making it an attractive option for fans. Additionally, the flexibility is a significant benefit. Fans aren't locked into a full-season commitment, and they can cancel their subscription with just one month's notice if their circumstances change, such as moving away or studying abroad. Furthermore, from one season to the next, fans don't need to take any action as the subscription is automatically renewed. Data also indicate that subscribers tend to stick with their subscriptions from season to season.

From the club's perspective, one of the main advantages is moving away from the challenging summer period when a lot of effort was traditionally required to renew season tickets, especially when fans were focused on activities other than football. This is a significant benefit for clubs, especially smaller ones, as it allows them to concentrate on other aspects of preparing for the new season during the summer break. While the increase in sales numbers is undoubtedly positive, it does alter the cash flow approach. Clubs need to have faith in the new structure because there may be a temporary loss of cash flow initially, but it results in a more consistent cash flow throughout the season. Additionally, the dropout rate for subscribers has been relatively low at our club. The only significant drop occurred when we had certain internal issues, such as changing our manager. Otherwise, even when results weren't going our way, we didn't see a significant number of people canceling their subscriptions.

This approach has proven to be beneficial for both fans and the club, offering cost-effective flexibility for fans and a more manageable cash flow and fan retention for the club.

Based on your experience, do you believe that a subscription-based ticketing model could find success in European football?

First and foremost, we've been enthusiastic about sharing the model, our statistics, and our experiences related to what we've learned about subscriptions in Copenhagen. I've shared our results with numerous individuals, clubs, and even some leagues. For example, the Norwegian league has a league-wide ticketing provider that ensures all clubs can work with subscriptions. In Denmark, almost all clubs of the Superliga (top tier division) are now also offering subscriptions to their fans.

When we initially launched this project in Denmark, I tried to find support from another European club but couldn't locate one. I also explored the US, particularly the MLS, which had a somewhat similar model but with some differences.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, other clubs and leagues have shown interest in this model. Currently, Belgium is using a system similar to ours. Anderlecht, for instance, has recently been working on a similar model. They were interested in the subscription model but needed to implement it on their own terms, rather than making a 1:1 copy of our model and adapting it to their challenges. I believe this example demonstrates that the subscription-based model could be relevant even for top leagues in Europe.

If you aim to streamline the process concerning your fans and the season ticket renewal period, the subscription model has the potential to be successful. By selling subscriptions, even if your stadium is already sold out, you can still offer season tickets during the season if someone decides not to renew. It significantly reduces the workload during the summer break when dealing with subscriptions. That's why we've also been in contact with Premier League clubs. The idea isn't necessarily to replicate the exact same model, but to draw inspiration from the concepts and adapt them to your unique situation, understanding your specific challenges and issues.