Ticketmaster deal revealed: R$30m up front, cash for museum | OneFootball

São Paulo chose Ticketmaster as the winner of the public bidding process to take over ticket sales operations at Morumbi Stadium, replacing Total Acesso.

The process began in April 2026 and received six original proposals, with Ticketmaster and NewC emerging as finalists. The winning proposal, considered by the board to be the most advantageous for easing the club’s cash flow, will be submitted for review by the Board of Directors and the Deliberative Council before formal signing.

Advance Structure and Loan

The financial pillar of the agreement provides for the transfer of R$ 140 million to the club, divided into two fronts:

Financial advance (R$ 110 million): The amount will be released within up to 45 days after the contract is signed, under a loan structure. São Paulo will have to repay the amount over five years, with interest equivalent to the CDI plus 1.99%.

Amortization mechanism: Repayment of the loan will be tied to matchday ticket revenue at Morumbi, with a monthly payment cap limited to R$ 1.8 million. The ceiling ensures stability in the club’s cash flow both in months of high revenue and during slower periods.

Management of Box 29A (R$ 30 million): Ticketmaster will pay R$ 30 million upfront after signing to obtain the right to commercially operate Box 29A for five years. The space, used by the club for relationship-building initiatives, will require the company to purchase additional tickets on concert days. Ticketmaster already operates ticket sales for music events at Morumbi through Live Nation’s referral.

Additional Funding and Expansion of Services

Outside the main R$ 140 million package, the contract establishes an additional benefit of R$ 6 million earmarked exclusively for the renovation of the São Paulo Museum.

The partnership also includes the transition of management of the membership program — currently handled by the company Feng — to Ticketmaster. Unifying the two operations aims to integrate services, optimize the fan experience, and reduce operating costs.

Administrative Fees

The proposed fee model provides for:

Digital tickets: Administrative fee of up to 10% per ticket sold.

Physical tickets: 8% fee on in-person sales.

Membership program: 8% charge per program member.

Behind-the-Scenes Controversies

As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR revealed, the contract between São Paulo and Ticketmaster has become another source of internal political dispute at the Morumbi club.

Amid the revelation that the semiannual financial statement showed a deficit of R$ 215 million in the first half of the year — raising the club’s consolidated debt to R$ 1.1 billion — the board is seeking alternatives to ease budget pressure. However, the signing of the letter of intent for the American company Ticketmaster to take over ticket operations starting in 2027 has become a bargaining chip in Morumbi’s political landscape.

Groups from the administration’s allied base (Legião, Participação, Vanguarda, Sou Tricolor, and Sou São Paulo) are working to make the release and approval of the new commercial contract conditional on the vote on the Bylaws Reform, scheduled in the Deliberative Council for next Monday (24).

Initially inclined to block the Bylaws Reform text because they interpreted the proposal as being strongly influenced by Deliberative Council president Olten Ayres de Abreu Júnior — which would make its approval a political victory for his main political rival at the moment — the ruling groups have now started using the release of the Ticketmaster contract as leverage in negotiations.

The move comes in response to barriers imposed by the Council presidency itself. Olten Ayres signaled his intention to create internal committees to thoroughly scrutinize the entire bidding process for the new ticketing company, including analysis of competing proposals (such as NewC’s), the drafting of the bid notice, and any possible ties between board members and the multinational.

Even under pressure from allies of president Harry Massis for the deliberation to move ahead urgently, the behind-the-scenes expectation is that the investigation and Council procedures will stretch out for at least two months.

NewC’s Bid and Liability Restructuring

To take over the membership program, São Paulo will have to pay the termination penalty on Feng’s contract, which had been renewed at the beginning of 2025 by former marketing director Eduardo Toni (with an 11% clause on the first monthly payment of new sign-ups).

São Paulo’s board also evaluated a competing proposal from NewC worth R$ 500 million — the company responsible for facial recognition at Palmeiras’ stadium.

The offer included taking over ticket offices, the membership program, and Morumbi’s surface rights.

However, the club’s bylaws prohibit the president from assigning surface rights, making the deal with NewC unfeasible and sealing the partnership with Ticketmaster, with whom São Paulo already had close ties, since the company is part of the same holding company as Live Nation, also a Tricolor partner for staging concerts at Morumbi.

The asset-based proposal calls for the creation of a Real Estate Investment Fund (FII) linked to Morumbi’s surface rights, potentially reaching an investment of around R$ 500 million in the long term (8 to 10 years) to pay off costly bank debts.

Parallel to the ticketing bid, the Danish company NewC — which took part in the original bidding process — together with a financial partner, presented the club’s political groups with an alternative offer focused on debt restructuring.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.