How much do fans pay to watch Arsenal around the world?

Arsenal, like the vast majority of revered institutions around the world, no longer functions as a mere football club.

Much to the behest of traditionalists who perpetually groan about how much better things were in their day – yeah, right, did you have TikTok and ‘Football Twitter’ in the 60s, Clive? – football has evolved into a commodity with clubs morphing into global brands.

Then there’s us. That’s right me and you: the consumer.

The freakish and outright concerning – you wait until the robots arrive – evolution of technology in the 21st century means it’s easier than ever for supporters from around the world to tune into their favourite football team week in, week out.

Broadcasters are ubiquitous worldwide and, thanks to the data provided by Sporticos, we can see exactly how much it costs overseas supporters to watch Arsenal in the Premier League annually.

How much do fans pay to watch Arsenal around the world?

https://twitter.com/SporticosCom/status/1557717572455661569

Sporticos’ EPL Price Index is a “price comparison tool which tells you how much Premier League fans pay to watch matches in various countries around the world.” Data from 20 countries across six continents have been collected and Sporticos write that “noteworthy football-loving nations” were selected.

According to the Index, it costs Arsenal supporters in the UK a huge £605.88 a year to watch the Gunners across multiple providers. The various subscriptions (Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon) required to access every game wildly inflates this figure and it’s no surprise that the UK is the most expensive place on Earth to watch Premier League games annually.

The USA (£327.57 a year), France (£295.10), Qatar (£247.37) and Germany (£210.85) make up the top five most expensive places to watch the Gunners. The affluence of the West and Qatar’s staggering GDP per capita (it’s the highest in the world) mean supporters are charged more to watch Mikel Arteta’s Gunners every year.

On the contrary, it costs supporters in India just £9.26 annually. That’s a staggering 95% cheaper compared to the UK! Fellow BRIC countries Brazil (£52.28) and China (£38.64) are among the cheapest places to watch the Premier League.

The data suggests that there isn’t a direct correlation between GDP per capita and Premier League viewership prices, however. Nigeria, for example, boasts the world’s 131st highest GDP per capita but it costs Nigerian fans £66 more annually than it does Spaniards to watch Arsenal in the English top flight. Spain, by the way, boasts the 34th highest GDP per capita.

So, while it’s easier than ever for global supporters to appreciate Arteta’s young and dynamic Arsenal side, the vast majority of fans are forced to pay a pretty penny to tune in every week. The paradox of progress, eh?