Premier League Zeroes In on Boehly over Ticket Resale Controversy
The Premier League doesn't mince words when it comes to ticket touting, and now Chelsea finds itself caught in the crosshairs because of its co-owner and chairman, Todd Boehly. Boehly owns a hefty 37% of the club and is also a big player behind Vivid Seats, a US-based ticket resale platform that’s blacklisted by the Premier League. The league reached out directly to Chelsea, demanding answers about how Boehly’s business dealings with Vivid Seats stack up against the club’s anti-touting stance.
Vivid Seats isn’t just any ticket outlet. It’s known for reselling high-demand Chelsea matches at jaw-dropping prices. For example, a single ticket for a recent Liverpool clash landed on the Vivid Seats site for an eye-watering $26,757. Fans saw this as more than just bad optics. They’re calling out what they describe as a conflict of interest, especially since Chelsea routinely warns supporters about buying from unauthorized sellers — often threatening that fans caught using such tickets could be denied entry on match day.
Fans and League Demand Transparency from Chelsea
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) hasn’t shied away from speaking its mind. Representatives say they’ve repeatedly asked Boehly and the club for transparency but have been stonewalled at every turn. For the supporters, Boehly’s refusal to engage is as big an issue as the ticket scalping itself, and they’re painting his silence as a “breach of trust.” The CST, stirring the pot further, insist that Chelsea has an obligation to address how their own boss is profiting from a system the club publicly opposes.
Ticket reselling in the UK is illegal under the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994. Clubs like Chelsea promise to take action against those using or encouraging unauthorised sales. The trouble is, Vivid Seats operates out of the US and most buyers are international, so UK law isn’t always easy to enforce on a global scale. That leaves a grey area that the Premier League’s rules are struggling to cover, especially when their own club executives are involved.
The League doesn’t look set to back down. Its formal inquiry is focused on whether someone in Boehly’s position should have any financial links to an unauthorised ticket resale operation. Officials are teaming up with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) to keep pressure on, hoping to get clear answers from Chelsea’s leadership. Right now, there’s plenty of frustration but not much clarity, and fans want to know if the club and the league are genuinely committed to stamping out ticket scalping or just paying lip service.
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