The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced a 59% “price increase for debenture seats inside Number 1 Court during the Wimbledon Championships” as it looks to “raise funds ahead of a major building project,” according to Josh Noble of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The debentures grant holders a “guaranteed spot inside the venue’s second most prestigious court during the championships and access to premium hospitality venues between 2027 and 2031.” The window to buy will close in May with tickets priced at $94,313 (all figures U.S.), up 59% from $59,430 when they were last issued in 2021 and $40,024 in 2016. A total of 1,250 seats will be put up for sale, generating proceeds “of about” $96.8M for the AELTC. Last year the club sold 2,520 Centre Court debentures at $149,849 each, raising $308.7M. However, the newest Centre Court debentures, which “offer access beginning from next year until 2030,” have recently been “changing hands at a slight discount of” $140,727. Money from debenture sales “is typically used to pay for investment in club facilities, such as adding a roof to the main show courts.” The latest sale comes ahead of a planned expansion that would “more than double the size of the host venue in south-west London” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 4/9).
Wimbledon debenture prices surge 59%
