Stefan Borson: Premier League face ‘big issue’ as cost of empty seats at Man City, Chelsea and West Ham laid bare
The Premier League faces a big issue with their product as empty seats continue to litter stadiums in the 2025-26 campaign.
That is according to former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that the division needs to put more thought into accommodating fans to help boost numbers for numerous matches.
Empty seats have become more and more noticeable in the Premier League this season, with matches at the Etihad, Stamford Bridge and the London Stadium all struggling to fill out their grounds at numerous points.
Now, there is a belief that it is affecting how the Premier League is selling their product to a global audience.
Multiple sections of empty seats in the away end (Bournemouth) at Everton tonight. pic.twitter.com/Q3AP5PE3QM
— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) February 10, 2026
Stefan Borosn: Premier League needs to do more to accommodate fans
There are plenty of reasons that fans are electing to stay home rather than go support their team this season.
For many, tickets are now just unaffordable, especially in the cost-of-living crisis. On top of this, there are numerous games on TV now, and simply, many fixtures are too challenging to follow.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, when discussing the current challenge, Borson highlighted Bournemouth’s trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium last week as too inconsiderate to away fans, as he called on the division to avoid long-distance away fixtures for midweek ties.
The majority of empty seats at Everton last night was because Bournemouth only took half their allocation. The empty seats are the section allocated to away fans. pic.twitter.com/7zkKgITnpg
— Dixie2 (@EFCHistVer2) February 11, 2026
When discussing the current empty seats issue, he said: “I think there’s a big issue across the sport generally. It’s not even just a UK issue. But let’s concentrate on the UK for now.
“There are too many games, it’s too expensive, there’s too much TV coverage, and it’s cold, and it’s wet. And you put all those things together.
“Particularly on cost, I think cost is the real killer. Also, if you look at some of the planning around midweek games and the distances between the two sides, it’s just crazy for away fans.
“Look, you might say, who cares, right? They might say, we don’t need Bournemouth to sell out their allowance for Everton away. It’s not that big a deal. If they sell 2,000 rather than 4,000, yeah, we’d like them to sell 4,000, but it’s just not that big a deal. It doesn’t change the product or anything.
“First of all, I think it does change the product, because part of the product is about two sets of fans in the stadium and the stadium looking full to a global audience. There being an atmosphere in the ground, that is important. And yet they made it almost impossible.
“Of course, there’s going to be 2000 empty seats at Everton for Bournemouth fans. Of course, they’re not going to travel for six, seven hours there and six, seven hours back.
“And presumably, there must be no way to get back unless you’ve got a coach or you’re driving. So you have to stay over in Liverpool. I mean, it’s just crazy. It’s total nonsense. That should not be a midweek game if they can avoid it.”
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How much have ticket prices risen in the Premier League?
According to Sports Gazette on 20 June 2025, the price of a matchday ticket in the Premier League rose by 6.7 per cent last season, with the price averaging at £59.90.
19 of the 20 clubs decided to raise their matchday ticket prices, while a further 13 upped their season ticket prices this season, with an average of an eight per cent increase.
With many workers in the UK struggling to meet their basic needs, it is no wonder that many are turning their backs on their club as they continue to exploit fan loyalty.
Yet, going into the 2026-27 campaign, it is likely that further hikes follow, especially to those clubs that see out a memorable campaign.
Arsenal have already announced that season ticket prices will rise by an average of 3.9 per cent for the upcoming campaign.
Therefore, it remains to be seen how long Premier League clubs can keep this up before fans simply do not pay the ever-growing prices.