Sports Then and Now

The football market is heating up this season, measured attendance from fans is already set to be one of the highest in recent years.So far In the top 5 leagues, there has been an increase of about 7% in the total attendance per match compared to last seasons attendance. 

The increase in attendance can be attributed to the substantial rise of international sport travel, the diminishing costs of travel and accommodation in order to reach top locations and cities all over Europe toped with the addition of the rise of platforms such as Airbnb has helped fans travel from all over the world to watch their favorite teams play not only in the big competitions such as the Champions League but domestic matches as well.

A recent study was conducted by SeatPick.com a ticket comparison site for live events in order to find which countries have the highest amount of fans traveling to catch a football match across the globe in 2019.The results showed that the top traveled destinations by football fans are:

1) London

2) Barcelona

3) Madrid

4) Paris

5) Milan

London maintains its status as the most traveled city in Europe to catch a football match, this can be attributed to the fact that it is quite easy to catch two sometimes even three matches in a single weekend with teams such as Chelsae, Arsenal, West-Ham and Tottenham fans are likely to catch a very competitive clash between the top Premier League teams such as Liverpool and Manchester City when they come into town. Coming in second and third is obviously the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Madrid,the combination of the beautiful and tourist accommodating cites as well as the powerhouses Fc Barcelona, Rela Madrid and the ever-improving Atletico Madrid    has been attracting many tourists from all over the world and Fc Barcelona is the most sought after club worldwide by a significant margin. 

The top 5 matches that most fans traveled to from other countries are:

1) Fc Barcelona vs Real Madrid 

2) Liverpool vs Manchester city 

3) Manchester United vs Liverpool 

4) Chelsea vs Manchester City

5) Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur 

The origin countries with the most fans traveling to watch a football match are:

1) USA  

2) United Kingdom

3) France

4) Spain

5) Italy 

The league with the most international fans traveling to catch a match are:

1) English Premier League

2) La Liga

3) Serie A

4) Bundesliga 

5) France Ligue 1 

The English Premier League remains the most dominant league in the world with the highest amount of fans traveling to catch a Premiership match,  and although the prices for Premier League tickets are on the rise this season with an increase of 8-10% on the resale market fans are not deterred and are still willing to shed more money on Premier League matches compared to any other league.