Source:REUTERS/Peter Powell
[Saba Sports News] Recently, a BBC investigation exposed the black market trade of Premier League tickets, revealing that some overseas companies are involved in the illegal sale of thousands of tickets. The BBC stated: Some overseas companies, including a business based in a Swiss town with only 4,000 residents, were found to be involved in the illegal sale of thousands of Premier League tickets. These companies use memberships and computer software to acquire tickets en masse from clubs’ online ticketing platforms. In the UK, ticket touting (resale) is illegal, and the Premier League has listed these websites on an “unauthorized list.” Despite this, BBC sports reporters were easily able to purchase tickets for four matches last weekend via the black market, a practice described as “widespread” in English football. However, not all fans using these sites have had the same experience; some fans told BBC Sport they paid but were unable to enter the stadium. The tickets purchased were priced at two to four times their face value, some were even sent via a UK phone number on WhatsApp, sometimes accompanied by strict instructions not to speak to security personnel. This discovery has sparked calls for clubs, the Premier League, and the government to strengthen the crackdown on the black market. There are concerns that a market of this scale makes it harder for fans to obtain tickets at face value through official channels and could also threaten strict segregation regulations.