Stay informed with free updates
Simply sign up to the Media myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.
England men’s football captain Harry Kane has increased his venture capitalist activities with an investment in London-based premium ticketing start-up Seat Unique.
The Bayern Munich striker will take a stake in the group as part of a wider funding round that will value Seat Unique at more than £100mn, according to people close to the process. Kane’s stake in the business has not been disclosed.
Founded in 2019 by Robin Sherry and Phillipa Hicks, Seat Unique sells access to the official premium seats and experiences for sports and music events that are normally reserved for corporate clients and box holders.
Kane said: “As an athlete, I know how much it means to fans to have those incredible experiences. Seat Unique is changing how people access these moments by creating better access to premium experiences.”
Sales on the platform have doubled year on year to more than £55mn in the last financial year, making it one of the UK’s fastest-growing start-ups.
Surges of demand such as last year’s rush for Oasis tickets have shown that some people will pay high prices for access to blockbuster live events. Sherry said that Seat Unique was on track for sales of more than £100mn this year.
The company has recently completed deals with Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, London Stadium and Formula E, gaining rights to sell their premium tickets and hospitality packages. It sells either through partners’ own websites using its software, or on its platform.
Kane joins a roster of high-profile cricketers, rugby players and athletes already backing Seat Unique, many of whom it can boast as “brand ambassadors” to promote the company.
4Cast, the media group co-founded by Ben Stokes, captain of the English men’s test cricket team, has also invested in Seat Unique. Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, the 2012 Olympic champion heptathlete, and former footballer John Terry, who back venture capital firm The Players Fund, are also investors.
The deals show the extent to which sports stars are increasingly looking to use more of their often large earnings over their careers to invest in the tech and media sectors. Kane, who has been reported to earn about £400,000 per week at Bayern Munich, already invests in a number of companies such as football and dining experience operator, Toca Social.
As the all-time top goal scorer for the England men’s national team, Seat Unique said that Kane would be vital in its push for top-flight football and major international tournament bids.
Sherry told the Financial Times that the group wanted to expand into new markets, such as Germany and other parts of Europe, as well as sell more of its UK-based events to overseas visitors.
One in five tickets is currently bought by people outside the UK who are visiting on holiday and want to see a game or gig.
Other investors include former SkyBet chief Richard Flint, who is also chair of the group, and Nick Wheeler, founder of Charles Tyrwhitt.
