Source: REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
[Saba Sports News] According to reports from British media, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s online ticketing platform is suspected of reselling tickets at inflated prices, leading to public discontent. Boehly is an investor and director at the American online ticket platform Vivid Seats, which is reselling Premier League tickets for tens of thousands of pounds. For instance, tickets for Liverpool’s last match of the season on the site are priced between £1,622 and £17,672. The platform is accused of reselling “unauthorized” tickets for Chelsea matches and other Premier League games to fans outside the UK, charging a 10% commission and service fees of 20% to 40%. As Chelsea’s owner, Boehly has repeatedly stated his intention to crack down on ticket scalping and ticket speculation, with penalties including revoking season ticket rights, membership, and referral for criminal prosecution to the police. Ironically, he himself is an investor and director at Vivid Seats, profiting significantly from these actions. This has sparked anger among Chelsea supporters, with one stating: “Our owner may be pursuing personal gain at the expense of loyal supporters; to put it mildly, that is hypocritical, and to put it bluntly, it’s outright dishonest.”