Twenty’s Plenty: Virgin Media’s Latest Fan-Centric Activation

Virgin Mobile listened to the needs of football fans to reduce the cost of attending an away game and capitalized on it.

Virgin Media is putting fans first in its new Twenty’s Plenty initiative. The campaign, which started April 15 and runs through April 23, subsidizes the cost of away tickets for English Premier League fans to ensure that they are paying no more than €20 to attend a match.

“This is our way of making the brand stand out from our competitors, where we’re firmly putting fans at the heart of the game and getting behind the issues they care about,” stated Virgin Media chief marketing officer Kerris Bright.

Currently, the price of away tickets is capped at €30, but the Football Supporters’ Federation has long stood by the mantra ‘Twenty’s Plenty for Away Tickets.’ The FSF’s argument stems from the belief that revenue pours into the players and team executives while the fans’ loyalty is exploited.

“Premier League football is immensely popular across the globe and the contribution of fans is central to that,” stated FSF Chief Executive Kevin Miles. “Away fans in particular bring noise and color to grounds, adding to the spectacle immeasurably. But following your side on the road can be expensive and, despite football being wealthy, we believe very little of it is used to reduce costs for match-goers.”

Virgin Mobile listened to the needs of football fans to reduce the cost of attending an away game and capitalized on it. The initiative started out on a small scale at the start of the 2016/17 season as Virgin Media, the current shirt sponsor for Southampton FC, announced that it would subsidize the cost of all away tickets for fans visiting the team’s St Mary’s stadium. Now, it has been extended it to a league wide initiative for a limited time. Each ticket purchased under this offer costs Virgin Media a maximum of €10 per ticket as the Premier League currently caps away tickets at €30.

This promotion applies to all UK residents with valid UK bank accounts whether or not they are a Virgin Media customer. Receiving a reimbursement is simple and just requires fans to mail in a reference PDF found on the Virgin Media website and a copy of their game ticket. Virgin will respond with the difference in cost over €20 and the price of postage.

Even in a league with arguably some of the most passionate and loyal fans in sports, Virgin Media shows that it is important to listen to their needs and make sure that they feel heard.

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