Birmingham University economists say Black Sabbath’s final show made £33.8 million from physical ticket sales
After Sharon Osbourne recently called out the “ridiculous” £140 million figure some media outlets claimed Black Sabbath’s final show brought in, a group of economists at the University of Birmingham reckon they’ve got a better estimate of the actual numbers – from actual ticket sales, that is.
According to BBC News, approximately 42,000 physical tickets were sold for the concert itself, with 20% bought by international fans, and with prices ranging from £197.50 to £834.
READ MORE: “What’s the point of even being there, if you’re a band?”: Bruce Dickinson hates the idea of Iron Maiden playing the Las Vegas Sphere
According to Dr. Matt Lyons of the University of Birmingham – who conducted the new research – tickets for the monumental Villa Park show brought in a total of £33.8 million, with £27.6 million being retained in the West Midlands region, which consists of seven boroughs, one being the city of Birmingham, Sabbath’s hometown.
“As regional economists from the University of Birmingham, we thought we would do our bit to honour Ozzy’s legacy by estimating the economic impact of his last gig,” says Lyons.
“The impact of the Prince of Darkness obviously goes far beyond the financial impact his gigs and TV shows have netted.
“Ozzy is a global legend, and his gift of incredible music, and now his final economic impact, will go on to benefit his home city far into the future.”
No mention is made in the BBC News article, though, of the revenue accrued from pay-per-view stream sales.
According to a Billboard article published last month, “5.8 million individuals online” paid to watch the livestream of the concert as it happened. And priced at £24.99, we work that out to be over £140 million (24.99 x 5.8 million) in additional revenue, if Billboard’s numbers are accurate.
While we don’t have official numbers from the event yet, it is true that with an event of this magnitude and with this many moving parts, overheads including band fees, logistics, crew wages and online processing fees were likely substantial, and would have made a hefty dent into the final figure that was ultimately donated to charity.
Proceeds from the event were pledged to Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Ozzy Obsourne sadly died at the age of 76 just two weeks after Black Sabbath’s final show, prompting a widespread outpouring of grief and tributes from the rock world, and indeed the wider music world, too.
The post Birmingham University economists say Black Sabbath’s final show made £33.8 million from physical ticket sales appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
