Newcastle United play host to Sam Fender once again
Geordie royalty returns to Tyneside this weekend as Sam Fender plays three jam-packed gigs at St James' Park. Newcastle United's home will play host, for the second time in a matter of years, to the musician and thousands of fans on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Fender's two sold-out shows in 2023 are estimated to have brought £15m to the local economy, while the NUFC Fans' Foodbank will again be situated in their usual spot opposite Shearer's Bar, raising vital funds for the most vulnerable people in the region. Newcastle United as a football club will also benefit from the singer's return to his favourite venue.
These events are big business for Premier League sides who lend the use of their stadiums for these non-football events. In recent years, Aston Villa have hosted Bruce Springsteen, Arsenal recently put on a Robbie Williams show, Tottenham Hotspur have welcomed Beyonce and Fender himself, just last week, played at West Ham's London Stadium.
St James' Park has hosted its fair share of worldwide musical superstars in years gone by, but the belief is that should the north east outfit change venues - with a Leazes Park move mooted - they will be able to turbo-charge their commercial revenue by holding many more acts and other sporting events on Tyneside.
Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert, recently told the Telegraph income generated, for football clubs, from gigs was 'a closely guarded secret', while experts in the world of media suggest stadium rental fees and a percentage of merchandise sales is how clubs make their money from these occasions. Tottenham Hotspur's recent five-night Beyonce run is estimated to have made the Premier League clubs millions.
Daniel Levy's club took home a cut of the merchandise sales from each evening, as well as the entirety of the food and drink sales. The Athletic estimated the gigs could have pocketed Tottenham £15m but the club suggested the final figure was £5m when costs were taken into account.
Tottenham have truly led the way in this field in recent years after taking the leap to leave White Hart Lane for the aptly-named Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The club's latest financial accounts show revenue from third-party events, commercial avenues, sponsorship and merchandise rose to £225.2m from £227.7m the year prior (2023).
Spurs had initially been permitted to host 16 non-football events each year by the Haringey Council but recently received a license to host 30 over 12 months at the venue. in 2023, Goldman Sachs estimated those 16 non-football events were worth £55m to the club.
As well as continuously hosting Beyonce concerts, the likes of Lady Gaga and Red Hot Chilli Peppers have played gigs at the club's new ground. Heavyweight boxing clashes and NFL fixtures are also often showcased at the stadium these days. In Spurs' final season at White Hart Lane, back in 2016-17, the club made £45m in matchday revenue.
Now, they have more than doubled that figure to rank as one of Europe's best when it comes to money-making. That is what Newcastle aspire to become, whether at a new stadium or at St James' Park.
Newcastle United's chief operating officer, Brad Miller, last year said: "The second option [a Leazes Park move], we are looking at it seriously as it does have the potential to earn more than twice as much in terms of revenue, compared to a transformation of St James’ Park."
He added: "A new stadium has the potential to earn a lot more, both on match days, and non-match days."
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