This is a continuation of the series on how the Nigeria Professional League can generate more revenue and start being sustainable without government intervention. You can read the first part of the series here.

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How NPFL Clubs Can Build Strong Matchday Revenue

The most predictable revenue streams the NPFL club can control is matchday revenue. Each NPFL club plays a minimum of 18 league games at home in a season. That is millions of naira being left on the table.

I posted a picture of a match ticket or should I say paper match ticket common in NPFL matchdays as a reply in the first post. It is so poor that professional clubs can’t even develop a good ticket slip that will be memorable that will spur me to keep it and not trash it after every matchday.

A structured matchday revenue system can turn every home game into an experience that generates consistent revenue.

Modern Ticketing System

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The local club I support plays in Nigeria top-flight league (NPFL) and yet you can’t get their ticket anywhere until you get to the stadium gate. This ticketing system is informal because there will surely be leakages. Cash payment at the gate or bank transfer to unknown accounts with the undocumented paper tickets is the first red-flag in any matchday experience.

NPFL clubs must use a structured system with:

• Printed tickets with unique codes
• Digital QR tickets
• Online pre-sale options
• Clear pricing tiers

These things aren’t hard to create. Aside from managing my business, I also double as the provost of the recyclers association and one of the things I have done is getting ID cards for members. I designed a qr code system that resides locally in my computer which gives the ID card a sort of credibility.

These things don’t cost a leg once they are implemented. A professional canva account and a qr code system gives you multiple tickets for every matchday. The fans feel included with these sorts of things. It gives them memorable moments.

Matchday Experience

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Football fans in top leagues don’t pay for the 90 minutes, they pay for the experience. They would have gone to a pub house for the match, but nothing beats a matchday experience at the stadium.

Clubs should add:

• Music
• Pre-match interviews
• Half-time contests
• Fan zones
• Vendor stands

You can’t get a meal here during matchday. What you get is popcorn and groundnut with warm drinks. That sums up the matchday experience. That is something I want to forget about quickly.

Better experience increases fan turnout and ticket value.

Vendor Agreements

Every matchday attracts vendors and it is a chance for you to also sell club merchandise. A single matchday sees at least 4,000 fans, which is revenue for vendors and also should be for the club

Clubs should

• Give Vendor permits for a fee
• Provide designated vending zones

Vendors get visibility and income while the club generates revenue. The fans have a wholesome experience.

Stadium Advertising

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Brands pay millions to sponsor foreign clubs so they can put their logos on ad spaces. Yet, you see zero advertisement every day in most NPFL matches. No matter how little, the advertisement fee is something compared to zero. It is opportunity for brands to reach large amounts of people every match day and register themselves in those people’s subconscious mind.

The clubs don’t have to wait till they have digital advertising boards, they can make do with what they have even if it is a banner.

Clubs can sell:

• Static boards
• Press conference backdrops
• Scoreboard space

The clubs can offer a one-time season advertisement fee and matchdays advertisement fee. This is for brands that might want to advertise during big matches which means the pricing will be different.

Pricing depends on crowd size and broadcast exposure, but even modest fees accumulate across the season.

Sell Matchday Programs and Media Products

A typical NPFL club signs 15 players in every transfer window. That is to put it conservatively. They sack coaches at will and you see fans every matchday asking who’s that player on dreadlocks or wearing the number 7. There is a communication gap between the clubs and the fans. This is another way to generate revenue and awesome matchday experience.

Clubs can create:

• Printed matchday programs
• Player and Management Profiles
• Season Guides

They don’t cost when made in bulk and are very easy to distribute.

Monetize Broadcast Rights Properly

The NPFL has zero or little TV coverage. This is a revenue source for clubs. Even with media coverage, clubs can still generate income from

• Creating in-house match highlights
• Selling digital rights to local platforms
• Utilizing social media ad revenues

Al Ahly is a football club in Egypt and Africa biggest club. Their YouTube channel has over 194 million views. That is thousands of dollars in youtube revenue. Repeat that for twitter, facebook, Instagram, and tiktok. NPFL clubs can easily generate thousands of dollars monthly if they monetize their media.

Partner with Local Businesses

Every home game is a marketing event. NPFL clubs should focus on local businesses on micro-sponsorship. It is not always about big brands. Do you know what it means to see your local fuel station or alma mater sponsoring your club.

Clubs should partner with local businesses for

• Matchday sponsor
• Man of the match sponsor
• Goal of the month sponsor
• Player of the month sponsor
• Goal of the season sponsor
• Save of the season sponsor
• Player of the season sponsor
• Ball kids sponsor

These smaller deals stack into reliable income.

Adequate Security and Crowd Management

One big concern in NPFL is security. You are in charge of your own safety because even the players are not safe if the fans decide to descend on them.

This must change to increase revenue because fans will only attend matches when they are assured of their safety.

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According to Deloitte Football Money League 2025 analysis, matchday revenue accounts for 18% of total revenue.

This is huge and can be higher in Nigeria where the price of tickets is lesser and huge core fans.

Clubs only need a structure and consistency to achieve more revenue during matchdays.

Posted Using INLEO