The Premier League has asked Chelsea FC to explain why tickets for its matches keep appearing on Vivid Seats—an American resale marketplace in which club co-owner Todd Boehly is both a director and major investor.
At issue is a potential conflict of interest. Vivid Seats is one of several platforms the league explicitly labels an “unauthorised ticket website,” yet hundreds of Chelsea seats—some priced as high as £20,000 last season—have been advertised there. UK law bans unauthorised resale above face value for Premier League fixtures, and Chelsea’s own terms forbid the practice.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters confirmed that officials have “written to Chelsea” and that talks are “ongoing.” The league is seeking clarity on whether Boehly’s dual role—running the club while profiting from a marketplace offering resale tickets to the clubs events—undermines its anti-touting policies.
In March, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) issued a 1,300-word open letter urging the league to investigate. The group called Boehly’s link to Vivid Seats “totally inappropriate” and said it “significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League and the Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting.” CST chair Mark Meehan wrote that repeated requests for an explanation from Boehly “have been ignored” while “thousands of tickets remain for sale” on the site.
Chelsea have recently pledged tougher action on touts, updating website guidance and partnering with police, but have not publicly addressed Vivid Seats by name.
Vivid Seats, which went public via SPAC in 2021, processes roughly $3 billion in annual ticket sales. The company’s share price has fallen 61 percent this year as investor sentiment cooled amid “economic and political volatility,” chief executive Stanley Chia told analysts earlier this month.
No timeline has been given for the Premier League’s review, but any finding could trigger fines, changes to Chelsea’s ticket policies or even requirements that Boehly divest his interest.
An email sent to Vivid Seats media relations requesting comment on the matter has not received a response as of Tuesday afternoon. Neither Mr. Boehly nor the ticketing platform have responded to requests for comment from other media outlets to date.
