Chapter 966 Isn’t this too crazy?
The stands at the Glory Stadium were packed!
The stadium, which could only accommodate 60,000 fans, attracted nearly 200,000 people.
In front of every entrance of the Glory Stadium, electronic display screens showed zero-seat full notices.
Outside each entrance, there were thousands of fans gathered, looking at the giant advertising screens on the outer wall of the stadium while staring at the stadium to see if anyone would come out.
As soon as one person comes out, a group of people rush to get in.
It can be said that the popularity of the Glory Stadium has reached a shocking level!
Not only the stands, but also the media center of the Glory Stadium was packed!
Southampton had originally anticipated that the scene would be very crowded, but considering the stadium's capacity, they prepared 300 seats for reporters, which could be said to be overloaded.
But who could have imagined that in less than three days, the number of applicants for press seats would exceed one thousand, and from all over the world, which shocked everyone in Southampton.
This is far beyond the capacity of the Glory Stadium.
In the end, Southampton selected five hundred media outlets and accepted their applications.
But today, with Messi joining the team, this number has to be broken again, increasing to more than 700.
The reason is that many reporters and media came uninvited, and it felt like they got on the bus first and bought the ticket later.
Southampton, in a friendly manner, finally had to support them, arranged them in temporary stands and tried to give them convenience.
British TV stations also exploded!
From the moment it decided to join Messi, Southampton has been actively working, and cooperation with local TV organizations such as the BBC, Sky, ITV and BT, as well as overseas TV organizations including Al Jazeera Bein Sports, ESPN and Fox is a top priority.
Among them, several British TV stations have given strong support. In addition to Sky TV and British Telecom which will broadcast Messi's joining ceremony live, BBC TV will also arrange a total of ninety minutes today to report on Messi's joining.
And if you know, just a week ago, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Tottenham Hotspur, although Sky TV produced a special program, the reporting time was only about ten minutes, and the BBC TV station's reporting time was also about ten minutes.
In comparison, Tottenham Hotspur is indeed far inferior to Southampton in terms of operational capabilities.
According to preliminary estimates, at least 10 million people will watch Messi's joining ceremony in the British Isles today.
That is to say, out of six people, at least one person watched the ceremony.
This is no longer just a Southampton thing, it has become a major event for the whole of the UK.
The Southampton City Government even had to temporarily announce traffic control in the area around Glory Square. At the same time, nearly two thousand police officers were arranged to enter the square for security, including six hundred who would enter the stadium.
The remaining police officers were spread out around the stadium, cooperating with the stadium security team to guard the area around Glory Square and the Royal Docks to prevent any problems.
As soon as the Lagonda Conqueror that Messi was riding appeared at the Royal Dock, the Plaza de Glory suddenly became boiling.
Fans who grab seats inside the stadium certainly get an advantage, but those fans who fail to enter the stadium also have benefits as well.
This is the smartest thing about Southampton in arranging this signing ceremony.
Given the unique geographical location of the Plaza de Glory, Messi must get off at the Royal Docks and then walk all the way from the Royal Docks to the Plaza de Glory.
The whole process will take about ten minutes, and he will interact with the fans throughout.
This is also the reason why so many fans are attracted to gather in the Glory Square.
Even though Messi had seen countless big scenes, he was still stunned by what he saw.
There were huge crowds of people, a huge black mass, all filled with people.
Although the club had already marked out a separate passage, both sides of the passage were packed with fans.
Although there are security guards, police and even private bodyguards protecting him, there are still fans who suddenly reach out their hands to him. They don't want to do anything else, they just want to touch him.
Messi!
Messi!!
Messi!!!
The screams were deafening, and everyone cheered and shouted Messi.
He felt surrounded by countless passionate fans, and he really felt like he was being swept up in the waves of sound.
Being in the midst of it, he seemed to feel that the voices and movements of these people were about to melt him.
Isn’t this crazy?
Is this English football?
There are just too many people.
The journey was originally estimated to take about ten minutes, but although we did not stop at all, it ended up taking a full fifteen minutes.
Yang Huan, Sun Yue, Peter Kenyon, Ron Gourlay and others stood in front of the curtain wall on the second floor, looking at the crowded square below that looked like an ant nest that had been poked. Their faces were filled with joy and even excitement.
That's pretty cool, isn't it?
"Master Huan, we have already negotiated with the sponsors. Starting from the new season, the sponsorship fees will be increased across the board. The new contracts can basically increase by 30% on the original basis." Ron Gourlay reported with a smile.
Yang Huan laughed, "Well done!"
“In addition, thanks to the support of Miracle Media, we will sign six sponsorship contracts in North America, Asia and South America, which are expected to bring in 40 million pounds per year.”
Yang Huan turned his head, smiled at Sun Yue with appreciation, and nodded in affirmation.
With the increase in the original sponsorship fee and the signing of six new sponsorship contracts, Southampton's annual revenue is bound to surpass Real Madrid and become the world's number one money-making king.
"Master Huan, many wealthy people have contacted us recently, hoping to join our Saints fan club."
When Yang Huan heard this, he immediately laughed and said, "Tell them that we have no intention of expanding enrollment for the time being."
After a pause, he added, "With the expansion, the Saints fan club will be worthless!"
Today, the Saints Supporters Club has only a thousand members, and the membership fee remains £100,000, which has not changed in the past few years.
But after several years of operation, the Saints fan club has become very mature and is no longer the rich second-generation organization that was generally believed by the outside world to be on the verge of collapse.
Although there are some rich second-generation members among the current Saints fan club members, many of them have already started to stand on their own.
Over the past few years, fans have invested in countless entrepreneurial and commercial projects of all sizes around the world. Although there have been many losses, overall, they have made more money.
In addition, in recent years, the Saints' performance has improved by leaps and bounds, and they have become the hottest top team in the Premier League.
Southampton on the south coast's climate and urban facilities are poised to become the most popular tourist and livable city in south London, and are beginning to attract the attention of London's wealthy.
In this situation, membership of the Saints Fan Club becomes very popular and in short supply.
With the continuous improvement in the past few years, the membership fee of 100,000 pounds is already quite cost-effective for the members of the Saints Supporters Club, but more importantly, membership of the Saints Supporters Club has become a symbol of distinguished status.
What? Southampton has only been around for a few years, so they are not a traditional giant?
You are all so naive!
Are traditional wealthy families great?
It doesn’t matter whether the Saints are a wealthy club or not. What’s important is that we want to make the Saints more powerful than those traditional wealthy clubs and put all the traditional wealthy clubs under our feet. Only then can our means be demonstrated!
Yang Huan had considered expanding the enrollment, but after a long discussion with Peter Kenyon, Sun Yue and others, he finally decided not to expand the enrollment and to maintain the current one thousand places.
"Ron." Yang Huan watched Messi finally walk into the stadium and knew that it was almost time for him to leave.
"Master Huan."
"After the ceremony, you go meet Sky, BT and the other TV broadcasters."
Ron Gourlay was a little confused, but he didn't ask. He just stood silently behind Young Master Huan.
Because I know that Young Master Huan will tell it.
"Richard Scudmore has told me that the Premier League will be pushing for internal reforms in the near future."
Yang Huan said with a calm and confident smile.
"Overseas copyright income will be distributed in the UK, and the Premier League will also set up a European competition bonus system. At the same time, the league will provide more live broadcasts and package them into packages for live broadcasters to bid on."
Ron Gourlay's eyes lit up. "Master Huan, do you mean that the live broadcasters should come forward and increase the number of our live broadcasts?"
"That's right!" Yang Huan nodded in appreciation.
It's easier to talk to smart people.
In today’s Premier League live broadcasts, even for a strong team like Southampton, there are only about 30 games in a season.
If it is Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City or other teams, there are only 26 games.
For example, Chelsea performed poorly last season and their match schedule was temporarily adjusted, resulting in only 18 live broadcasts.
You know, every live broadcast is paid.
In this area alone, the Blues lost at least five or six million pounds. Coupled with the team's poor performance and heavy losses in ranking bonuses, Chelsea lost at least 20 million pounds in its share of broadcasting fees last year.
So, where does Chelsea get the money to sign players this summer?
For a team like Southampton, even the most unsuspenseful games are quite attractive to ordinary fans, especially now with the addition of a superstar like Messi, it is entirely possible to broadcast all 38 games live.
If the copyright distribution on local, overseas and other platforms is taken into account, the Saints' revenue in this area will increase significantly.
Live broadcasters such as Sky TV, British Telecom and Al Jazeera also have such a need.
Therefore, it is most appropriate for the live broadcasters to come forward and negotiate with the Premier League.
Ron Gourlay nodded continuously as he listened.
If it is really as Young Master Huan said and thought, then the Saints' annual broadcasting fee income will increase significantly compared to now, and it is possible that it will increase by more than half.
Moreover, the Premier League is now increasing the number of live broadcasts and offering more bidding packages. The Saints' increase in the number of matches will not affect the share of other teams at all, and they may even receive more share of the profits.
Of course, as a member of the Premier League, the Saints certainly cannot personally deal with such matters.
Therefore, it would be best if the live broadcast operators came forward and let the bad guys do the work, and Southampton just had to pretend to be innocent.
Ron Gourlay knew very well in his mind that what Young Master Huan wanted to do now was to slowly, step by step, establish the Saints' flag in the Premier League and make the Saints a flagship team of the Premier League.
It just so happens that in the past two years, teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea have declined, Arsenal is unwilling to invest heavily, Manchester City has never been able to find the right style, and Liverpool has been slow to rise.
Therefore, if the Saints do not make an effort at this time to thoroughly consolidate their dominance in the Premier League, wouldn’t they be missing out on this God-given opportunity in vain?