40-42 Hatton
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EC1N 8EB
UK sport remains a mass attraction. After the pandemic slump, attendance rebounded strongly: in 2024, spectatorship was estimated at 77.7 million, a 27% increase compared with 2014 (Two Circles). Football accounted for two-thirds of this, with 55 million football attendances projected in 2024, a new high. Major one-off events continue to thrive: the British Grand Prix drew 164,000 fans in a single day in 2023, the highest ever for Silverstone (Guardian).
But while demand is robust, access is becoming more difficult. 19 of 20 Premier League clubs raised ticket prices for the 2024/25 season (BBC Sport). As a result, seven in ten match-goers say traditional supporters are being priced out, and 67% believe football is now too expensive for families (Ipsos).
Predictability is also a concern. A 2023 study of 300,000 matches across sports found that football outcomes are becoming more predictable over time, with elite clubs winning more consistently (EPJ Data Science).
Some sports are actively redesigning to retain attention. In Major League Baseball, rule changes introduced in 2023 reduced average game times from 3h04 to 2h36 – the fastest in nearly 40 years – and helped drive an 11% rise in attendance year-on-year (AP News).
In the UK, lower-tier and non-league football is benefitting from dissatisfaction at the top. Since 2014, average attendances in the National League North and South have more than doubled, with fans citing lower prices and community atmosphere (SW Londoner). The numbers suggest that while sport’s mass popularity is intact, the experience is splitting between elite events under pricing pressure and grassroots alternatives that feel more accessible.
Live music has staged a record recovery. In the UK, 37 million people attended concerts and festivals in 2022 – more than ever before, and well above the 29.8 million in 2018 (UK Music). Globally, Live Nation reported 145 million fans at its shows in 2023, up 20% from 2022 (Live Nation).
Blockbuster tours are driving much of this growth. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has sold out multiple NFL stadiums and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour broke UK ticketing records. In the festival space, Glastonbury’s 2023 Elton John headline set drew over 120,000 people on-site, the largest single audience in the festival’s history (Scoop).
Like sport, music prices are rising. Average UK concert tickets for major tours now range from £60–£120, with resale or “dynamic pricing” pushing some beyond £200. Yet surveys suggest fans perceive higher value: in a 2025 Ipsos poll, over half of football fans said big concert tickets felt no more expensive than a Premier League match, but far fewer complained about value for money in music than in football (Ipsos).
Figure 1: music ticket prices have risen considerably but this has not stifled demand
Social media is amplifying demand. According to Live Nation, 90% of concertgoers say seeing live music content online makes them more likely to attend future shows. This feedback loop has helped transform concerts into cultural moments that extend beyond attendees, fuelling FOMO and future sales.
The net effect is clear in attendance growth. Whereas UK sport attendances grew c.27% across the past decade, UK live music jumped 24% in just four years (2018–2022), despite the COVID disruption in between. Globally, music’s rebound has outpaced sport’s, with concert audiences now exceeding pre-pandemic peaks by double-digit percentages.
Sport remains a cultural behemoth with massive audiences, but pricing pressures and perceptions of exclusivity are creating space for disruption. Startups that make live sport more affordable, accessible, or engaging, through resale platforms, dynamic ticketing alternatives, fan-community models, or enhanced broadcast/second-screen experiences, can capture disillusioned fans. Growth in women’s and non-league sports also signals room for investment in under-served segments.
Music is in the midst of a historic boom. Demand is rising faster than capacity, creating bottlenecks in ticketing, venues, and fan engagement. Investors have an opportunity to back companies solving for scalability and inclusivity: fan-to-fan ticket exchanges, artist-fan engagement tools, immersive live-streaming, and secondary spending (food, merch, payments).
The data paints two distinct pictures. Live sport remains hugely popular – tens of millions still flock to stadiums each year – but its accessibility is under strain, with higher prices and concerns about predictability shaping the fan experience. Live music, by contrast, has emerged from the pandemic in record health, breaking attendance records and enjoying strong perceptions of value despite price inflation.
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UK sport remains a mass attraction. After the pandemic slump, attendance rebounded strongly: in 2024, spectatorship was estimated at 77.7 million, a 27% increase compared with 2014 (Two Circles). Football accounted for two-thirds of this, with 55 million football attendances projected in 2024, a new high. Major one-off events continue to thrive: the British Grand Prix drew 164,000 fans in a single day in 2023, the highest ever for Silverstone (Guardian).
But while demand is robust, access is becoming more difficult. 19 of 20 Premier League clubs raised ticket prices for the 2024/25 season (BBC Sport). As a result, seven in ten match-goers say traditional supporters are being priced out, and 67% believe football is now too expensive for families (Ipsos).
Predictability is also a concern. A 2023 study of 300,000 matches across sports found that football outcomes are becoming more predictable over time, with elite clubs winning more consistently (EPJ Data Science).
Some sports are actively redesigning to retain attention. In Major League Baseball, rule changes introduced in 2023 reduced average game times from 3h04 to 2h36 – the fastest in nearly 40 years – and helped drive an 11% rise in attendance year-on-year (AP News).
In the UK, lower-tier and non-league football is benefitting from dissatisfaction at the top. Since 2014, average attendances in the National League North and South have more than doubled, with fans citing lower prices and community atmosphere (SW Londoner). The numbers suggest that while sport’s mass popularity is intact, the experience is splitting between elite events under pricing pressure and grassroots alternatives that feel more accessible.
Live music has staged a record recovery. In the UK, 37 million people attended concerts and festivals in 2022 – more than ever before, and well above the 29.8 million in 2018 (UK Music). Globally, Live Nation reported 145 million fans at its shows in 2023, up 20% from 2022 (Live Nation).
Blockbuster tours are driving much of this growth. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has sold out multiple NFL stadiums and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour broke UK ticketing records. In the festival space, Glastonbury’s 2023 Elton John headline set drew over 120,000 people on-site, the largest single audience in the festival’s history (Scoop).
Like sport, music prices are rising. Average UK concert tickets for major tours now range from £60–£120, with resale or “dynamic pricing” pushing some beyond £200. Yet surveys suggest fans perceive higher value: in a 2025 Ipsos poll, over half of football fans said big concert tickets felt no more expensive than a Premier League match, but far fewer complained about value for money in music than in football (Ipsos).
Figure 1: music ticket prices have risen considerably but this has not stifled demand
Social media is amplifying demand. According to Live Nation, 90% of concertgoers say seeing live music content online makes them more likely to attend future shows. This feedback loop has helped transform concerts into cultural moments that extend beyond attendees, fuelling FOMO and future sales.
The net effect is clear in attendance growth. Whereas UK sport attendances grew c.27% across the past decade, UK live music jumped 24% in just four years (2018–2022), despite the COVID disruption in between. Globally, music’s rebound has outpaced sport’s, with concert audiences now exceeding pre-pandemic peaks by double-digit percentages.
Sport remains a cultural behemoth with massive audiences, but pricing pressures and perceptions of exclusivity are creating space for disruption. Startups that make live sport more affordable, accessible, or engaging, through resale platforms, dynamic ticketing alternatives, fan-community models, or enhanced broadcast/second-screen experiences, can capture disillusioned fans. Growth in women’s and non-league sports also signals room for investment in under-served segments.
Music is in the midst of a historic boom. Demand is rising faster than capacity, creating bottlenecks in ticketing, venues, and fan engagement. Investors have an opportunity to back companies solving for scalability and inclusivity: fan-to-fan ticket exchanges, artist-fan engagement tools, immersive live-streaming, and secondary spending (food, merch, payments).
The data paints two distinct pictures. Live sport remains hugely popular – tens of millions still flock to stadiums each year – but its accessibility is under strain, with higher prices and concerns about predictability shaping the fan experience. Live music, by contrast, has emerged from the pandemic in record health, breaking attendance records and enjoying strong perceptions of value despite price inflation.
Accelerate Ventures
Accelerate Ventures 40-42 Hatton Garden London EC1N 8EB
