OPERATIONAL REVIEW - COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
Central funding received from the Football League for the year under eview was £439,000. This figure represents the new arrangements that have been put in place following the collapse of ITV Digital.
The success of the team on the field has led to a significant rise in the number of people attendong games, and yet again, the average attendance for 2002/2003 has put the club at the top of average attendances in Division Two, at just on 14,000. As a result of this, a rise has been seen in the amount of revenue derived from both season ticket and day purchase.
Furthermore, we are pleased to say that at the end of season 2002/2003, the number of season ticket holders stood at 7,700. These figures have shown the level of loyalty amongst our fans, and considering the increase in the cost of season tickets, is a ringing endorsement, not only of the product on the field, but the reawakening of support amongst fans who had previously deserted the club.
Revenues for both matchday and season ticket and advertising and sponsorship will show a rise of £1,255,000. This in part was due to the rise in the number of games played by QPR, necessitated through the play-offs. However, it should be noted that the revenue generated from all of the semi-final legs are pooled by the competing teams and subsequently divided equally.
Overall, commercial revenues show a significant increase of 30% on the previous year, which is mainly due to the number of matches and the improvement in merchandise sales through the club shop.
These merchandise sales have seen exponential growth, and in part due to greater use of the internet, and a remarketing of their catalogue. Staff in this area have achieved startling results over the past twelve months, which in the season 2003/2004 have shown a consistent further growth and are now a major revenue stream to the club.
In the wake of the demise of ITV Digital and the original Premium TV deal covering the internet, we have pleasure in reporting that the internet site has been one of the most successful in the Football League. It has generated over £250k in revenue since its inception. It has regularly been in the top ten earning sites, and during the launch of the subscription services it was the leading site in the league.