Luton Town set for remarkable triple-your-money payday at new Power Court Stadium

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Luton Town may have sunk back to League One, but EFL Analysis’ chief finance expert has revealed their new stadium promises them a big pay day thanks to a new feature.

The Hatters suffered a double relegation after their first ever season in the Premier League, crashing back to the third tier for the first time since 2019. Key players including Tahith Chong, Thomas Kaminski and Alfie Doughty have also left the club for pastures new.

But while the Bedfordshire outfit have been going through it on the pitch, plans for an exciting new stadium have been in the works, with the club expected to leave 12,000-seater Kenilworth Road, their home since 1905, for the Power Court Stadium in the near future.

That upgrade is expected to seriously boost Luton’s matchday income.

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Luton Town can rake in £15m matchday income thanks to new corporate features

EFL Analysis’ chief finance expert, Adam Williams, points out that Luton earned £6.2m in 2023-24, when they were in the Premier League, in matchday income. This is a bit of an outlier because of the higher prices they could charge over 19 home matches in the league. Clubs release their accounts with almost a year’s delay, so it’s not known what Luton earned in matchday income last term.

However in 2022-23, when they finished 3rd in the Championship, they generated £5.1m in 23 home matches. That’s about £220,000 per match at home, with a slight adjustment for the number of cup games, plus the play-offs.

Williams says: “That’s actually not too bad relative to their capacity. There were five Championship clubs who earned less than that through the turnstiles last season. But a crude pro-rata calculation suggest you’re going to double your matchday income and then some if you can get close to full occupancy most matches at a 25,000-seat ground.

“In reality, however, Luton are probably expecting to go significantly further than that. It’s undergone a few renovations but ultimately it’s a bit of an anachronism as a stadium, as wonderful and charming as it is. That means that it doesn’t have the space or structure to accommodate much premium seating, which is where the real money is made these days.

“Luton have the benefit of being near one of the UK’s biggest airports, which means they can be a genuine attraction for corporate guests, as well as bedrock fans who want to try something different. The new stadium will allow for that, with more salubrious facilities.

“Modern stadiums are designed as commercial facilities. They enlist consumer psychologists to gear every element of the building to get you to part with more money, arrive at the stadium earlier to buy another one or two drinks and so on.

“In the Premier League at a 25,000-seat stadium somewhere in a comparable geography like, say, Selhurst Park, you’re looking at £15m in annual matchday income. That’s probably a stretch target for Luton, but it will be somewhere in that region given that it’s going to be a commercially-focused build. That’s an extra £10m that can go into your playing budget – or an extra £10m the owner doesn’t have to put into the club to meet running costs.”

When will Luton Town move to Power Court Stadium?

Construction on Power Court began this summer as planned by the club.

The new stadium, which is being built on an old power station shut in the 1960s, is expected to be opened in 2028.

Power Court will be a combination of new mixed-use development in the centre of Luton including housing, a hotel and a music venue and will have different sized stands to pay homage to Kenilworth Road’s ad hoc style.

The Power Court Stadium project is estimated to cost £450 million.