UK Law and Practice Contributed by: Jamie Singer and Flora Peel, Onside Law
Secondary Ticketing Platforms Where ticket holders are able to resell tickets to an event, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides that online secondary ticket platforms must provide the buyer of the resold ticket(s) with information on the seat they are purchasing. If these tickets are resold without the consent of the relevant organiser of the event, the avail - able information on the platform enables the event organiser to identify the original purchaser and, in turn, this assists them in bringing claims against such offenders. Recent legislation bans the use of automated software by ticket touts to purchase a number of tickets in excess of the permitted number. In August 2021, the Competitions and Market Authority called for stronger laws to tackle illegal ticket resales, by notably increasing the liability of ticket resale websites. In January 2025, the UK government announced a consultation plan to cap the price of resold tickets in an effort to clamp down on ticket touts fleecing the public. Hospitality Hospitality can also provide a substantial source of income to sport venue owners in the UK. Significant hospitality offerings (including fine dining, tickets and player meet-and-greets) are now built into stadiums and on land controlled by sports rights-holders, wresting much of this income from unofficial providers. By way of example, Tottenham Hotspur FC’s stadium was designed and built with tailored luxury hospi - tality facilities, various hospitality lounges and approximately 8,000 of the 62,850 seats in the stadium being premium hospitality seats. This trend of investment in stadium development and its associated revenue-generating opportu - nities continues, with Everton FC due to move
into their new 52,888-capacity stadium, worth around GBP555 million, for the 2025/26 season. 2.2 Sponsorship Brand Association with Sport Sport has an emotional and commercial appeal that companies frequently look to leverage to promote their own brand. Rights-holders in the UK are aware of the potential value that their association brings and are increasingly sophis - ticated in the way they target potential sponsors, either directly or by using a specialist agency. Depending on the nature of the rights-holder, its assets and the number of interested sponsors, it may be able to sell different sponsorship pack - ages relating to specific competitions or events, specific territories or simply different levels of rights and access. In recent years, the use of data has become increasingly important to the valuation and activation of sports sponsorships in the UK. Key Contractual Terms Aside from a clear articulation of the sponsorship rights being granted, some of the key terms in a typical sponsorship contract include: • the scope of exclusivity for the sponsor; • the applicable sponsorship fees and any other value-in-kind consideration; • control over the use of the rights-holder’s intellectual property, including image rights (eg, approvals); and • any post-termination rights the sponsor will be entitled to, including any matching rights and/or right of first refusal. Given the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, rights-holders and sponsors alike are paying more attention than ever to what contractual provisions should apply if sponsor -
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