Wimbledon Centre Court debentures sold for £293,000 each
17 reported1 unconfirmed
A single-source report from The Guardian describes the resale of Wimbledon Centre Court debentures, which guarantee a seat for every day of the tournament for five years. One debenture was resold this week for £293,000, and two tickets were sold together for £586,000. The buyer will not be able to attend this year’s matches because the rights were fixed in May, but will have access from next year until 2030. The All England Club last sold debentures in 2024 for £116,000 each, raising £292m for development. Debentures are exempt from a government law banning resale of live sports tickets above face value. A spokesperson for the All England Club said they are aware tickets are advertised at high prices but do not have visibility of the actual trade price. The article notes that 2,520 Centre Court debentures account for 16.7% of the 14,979 seats, with 53.5% of seats available to the public.
What’s reported
Marcos Ortega, an architect from Spain living in north London, entered the Wimbledon public ballot for seven years without success.
A Centre Court debenture guarantees a seat for each of the 14 days of the tournament for five years.
The All England Club last sold debentures in 2024 for £116,000 each, raising £292m.
This week, someone sold two debenture tickets for £586,000.
The buyer will not be able to attend this year’s matches but will have access from next year until 2030.
Debenture holders can sell tickets day-by-day for profit without restrictions.
The government brought in a law banning resale of live sports tickets above face value, but Wimbledon debentures are exempt.
Debenture tickets for this year’s men’s final are available on secondary ticketing websites for £29,079 each.
The 2,520 debentures account for 16.7% of Centre Court’s 14,979 seats.
The All England Club reserves 1,340 seats for corporate hospitality; invited guests occupy 21% of seats; 53.5% are for the public.
There are an additional 1,250 debenture seats on No 1 Court.
Tim Webb of Dowgate Capital oversees resale of debentures and said interest surged in the last 18 months.
Buyers include high net worth individuals, corporate hospitality companies, private equity people, and individuals from India, Dubai, and Europe.
The record price for a debenture was £325,000 earlier this year.
Wimbledon introduced debentures in 1920; some families have held them since.
Debenture holders have access to the private champions’ room, a special entrance, and seven exclusive bars and restaurants.
The Lawn Tennis Association did not respond to requests for comment.
Open questions
The article does not specify the identity of the buyer who paid £586,000 for two tickets, nor the exact number of debentures resold at the record price of £325,000.
Key figures
Marcos Ortega, architect from Spain living in Manor House, north London
Tim Webb, oversees resale of debentures via Dowgate Capital
All England Club spokesperson (unnamed)
Lawn Tennis Association (did not respond to comment)
Sources: The Guardian
