FC Tokyo finished the 2024 season. While it was a year that saw numerous record-breaking figures in business aspects such as average attendance and annual revenue, the team also faced the reality of not being able to compete for titles. We interviewed President Shigeya Kawagishi to reflect on the year-long battle from both business and football perspectives regarding the club's current position. In the first part, we asked about the positive reception of the strong business performance. There were efforts towards the future that were not visible through the strong numbers alone.
Coverage and Composition = Kei Sato (Freelance Writer)
The highest numbers in history and efforts for the future
──How are the business and football aspects of the 2024 season being summarized? First, let me ask about the business aspect.
A clear indicator is the attendance at league matches. For FC Tokyo, the highest number was 31,540 in the 2019 season. In the 2024 season, we were able to surpass that number. We had an average of over 33,000 people per match, with a total of 630,000 attendees. Despite struggling to win at our home Ajinomoto Stadium, I am truly grateful that so many fans and supporters came out and cheered for us until the end. We were able to win all four home games held at the National Stadium, but I feel very regretful and sorry that we could not deliver more victories at Ajinomoto Stadium.
──How do you perceive the factors that contributed to the increase in spectator attendance?
1The 2019 season, where the average attendance exceeded 30,000, was a season of championship contention. The goal of surpassing that number was challenging for the club, and we did not think it could be achieved quickly. However, in the 2024 season, we were able to have many people attend and successfully meet that challenge. Of course, unlike the 2019 season, where all matches were held at Ajinomoto, the 2024 season saw four matches held at Japan National Stadium, with a total attendance of 210,000. Since the number of home league games has increased by two, we cannot simply compare the figures, but I believe it is significant that we were able to exceed the large target we set.
The benefits of holding matches at Japan National Stadium, as explained so far, lie in the ability to reach a wider audience who may not be aware of FC Tokyo solely through Ajinomoto Stadium. While we want to continue to strategically utilize National Stadium alongside Ajinomoto as our main venue, we are also promoting 'THE National DAY' in the J.League, which aligns the interests of both the club and the J.League. We aim to attract more fans and supporters to come and enjoy the matches.
──It was mentioned that merchandise sales are also steadily increasing. What are your thoughts on this?
This season has been really good. It is possible that changing to a new emblem has had a positive effect. Of course, I don't think the new emblem itself has been accepted by everyone, but looking at the numbers, they are up compared to last season, and I feel that many people have engaged with us. Typically, the ones who purchase merchandise are the existing fans and supporters. From that perspective, I think there was a strong demand for switching to items with the new emblem. Additionally, I believe it was significant that we prepared merchandise at accessible price points, such as towel scarves, aimed at the casual fans. As I mentioned in the previous interview, I believe that expanding the merchandise stores at the stadium and ensuring we have sufficient stock has had a positive effect.
Looking at the numbers from the past two years, merchandise sales increased from 400 million yen to 600 million yen. How are merchandise sales for the 2024 season?
This year is expected to exceed 700 million yen. I believe that our efforts to not be afraid of the risks associated with inventory, which we discussed in the previous interview, have also led to results. We intend to continue building on this.
──As a new initiative, there was the sale of U-12 tickets. Please tell us again about its purpose and effects.
This season, we have introduced a ticket type called U-12 for certain seating categories. Analyzing that "customer segment," we can see that sales of tickets aimed at adults have also increased for that seating type. In other words, the U-12 ticket has encouraged families to attend together. Although this analysis is from the summer, further examination of the data shows that the average age of attendees has decreased by about one year. This is likely related to the fact that families attending with their elementary school-aged children tend to be relatively younger. As the J-League has been around for 30 years and the average age of spectators has been rising, both the league and clubs have faced the challenge of rejuvenating their fan base. From that perspective, I believe this initiative has had a certain level of effectiveness.
This initiative was carried out from a fairly medium to long-term perspective. When considering which club a child will support, the influence of parents is significant. From this standpoint, I believe it is important to create experiences where children can say, 'I became a fan of FC Tokyo because my parents took me to the stadium.' By continuing such initiatives, I want to create an environment where FC Tokyo fans and supporters can continue for 10, 20 years, even as they change generations. If we focus solely on immediate profits, increasing the number of elementary school customers versus adult customers will yield different 'per capita spending,' leading us to focus on adults. However, a medium to long-term perspective is absolutely necessary, and I want to create a cycle that passes from parents to children, and from children to grandchildren, looking 10, 20, and even 30 years ahead. In that sense, I would like to continue our approach to family audiences in the future.
──As another initiative, there was a partnership with overseas clubs for the 2024 fiscal year. Could you explain the partnership with Legia Warsaw (Poland) and SL Benfica (Portugal)?
When it comes to partnerships with overseas clubs, it is often thought that there is player exchange between clubs, but in reality, the type of players required varies by league and team, so it is not such a simple matter. Legia Warsaw is focusing on a scouting partnership, exchanging scouting information that each party possesses. We seek evaluations as a second opinion on players from the EU that we are considering acquiring, and conversely, we provide information on Japanese players they are interested in. This partnership was realized because our needs aligned.
SLThe partnership with SL Benfica is related to player development. I believe that the academy is a strength of FC Tokyo, but creating a solid career path for players is a challenge not only for FC Tokyo but for the Japanese football community, especially for the age group referred to as 'post-youth.' Whether to pursue higher education or play in the J-League is a significant decision. Even players who have been promoted to the top team may have the option to change categories. Securing match opportunities for that generation is quite difficult. While creating playing opportunities through loan transfers to J2 clubs is one approach, it is not enough on its own. I have been thinking about expanding various possibilities to enhance the value of players. In that context, I came to the conclusion that being developed overseas is one option, and since our thoughts aligned with SL Benfica, one of the world's leading clubs in maximizing player value, we decided to partner with them.
──What kind of results do you expect for the 2024 fiscal year's sales? It's before the financial results, but please share your current impressions.
Last year's sales were 5.929 billion yen, but this year we expect to significantly exceed that, and thanks to everyone, it seems that each business segment will achieve record numbers. The details are not yet finalized, so I hope to report this again as a management report after the financial results are announced.
The second part is here
