Wimbledon: Majority of £350,000 debentures sold to overseas fans
The majority of premium Wimbledon debentures are being purchased for over £350,000 by overseas fans as sellers cash in on its exclusivity.
Weekly auctions run by Dowgate Capital, the official broker of Wimbledon, are seeing prices surge beyond the initial issue price of £116,000 with most of the debentures being sold in pairs and therefore topping $1m.
It comes ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which get underway at the All England Club this morning.
The lucky 2,000 or so debenture holders for Centre Court – which holds 15,000 spectators – will have paid off their fee with a third installment payment made in February, with the current issue of debentures running from this year through to 2030. However with tickets issued in May any person bidding for a debenture since then will not be able to attend the Championships this year with their debenture, resulting in a huge premium cost per day average over the next four years.
No1 Court debentures have been issued for £73,000 and cover 2027 through until 2031. These are already being traded at £100,000, just months after the first downpayment would have been made by punters.
Dowgate Capital told City PM that the majority of debenture sales are now to overseas individuals, couples and firms who see the Wimbledon Championships as a must-attend event over the British summer of sport.
India and the United States are key markets for the sale of debentures, with weekly auctions hawkishly watched by those keen to get a seat on one of the All England Club’s show courts.
Wimbledon last year confirmed that the newer, cheaper No1 Court debentures were oversubscribed, guaranteeing the SW19 venue at least £70m after costs – the £73,000 fee was up 60 per cent on the previous cycle, while the Centre Court cost of £116,000 was up 45 per cent on the £80,000 demanded in the previous cycle.
It speaks to the popularity of Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam on the tennis circuit.
The profits are set to be used to help expand the Wimbledon site into an adjacent disused golf course, which will feature a third – albeit smaller – show court.
The Henman Hill viewing area is also set to undergo redevelopment in the coming years to increase its capacity.
The All England Club has raised nearly £250m from selling 2,520 Centre Court debentures for the 2026 to 2030 cycle. The Financial Conduct Authority regulates the sale of debentures with the All England Club needing to approve both the buyer and seller before any transaction is sanctioned.