'Breach of trust' - Chelsea fans REPORT Blues chief Todd Boehly to the Premier League over ownership of 'unauthorised' ticket resale website charging 'significantly inflated' fees

Boehly is an investor and director of an "unauthorised" US-based website called Vivid Seats that resells Premier League tickets to foreign tourists at vastly inflated prices which has caused anger among some fans. Chelsea supporters have now written an open letter calling on the Premier League to "act and investigate" in a bid to ensure "that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value."

Chelsea fans have complained that Boehly's actions are a "breach of trust" and "a clear conflict of interest." The letter also accuses Vivid Seats of "contravening Chelsea FC ticketing policy" and undermining efforts to combat ticket touting.

A spokesperson for the Chelsea Supporters Trust said: "Vivid Seats continues to list Premier League tickets for above face value at significantly inflated rates and our members have continued to indicate that Mr Boehly’s connection with Vivid Seats is a breach of trust and a clear conflict of interest. Not only does this undermine the efforts of Chelsea FC, The Premier League, and The Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting, but Vivid Seats contravenes the Chelsea FC ticketing policy, and is explicitly named by the Premier League as a known unauthorised ticket website. We believe that now is the time for the Premier League to act swiftly and ensure that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value.”

The open letter to Richard Masters, Chief Executive Officer of the Premier League, reads: "We have received a significant amount of correspondence from concerned CST members and supporters from the wider Chelsea FC fan base on this issue that cannot be ignored. Since its inception, the CST has been in regular dialogue with Chelsea Football Club, the Premier League, the Football Supporters’ Association, and other key stakeholders regarding the ongoing battle against ticket touting and the illegal sales of tickets on third-party websites.

“We were therefore dismayed when, in early February, it was highlighted that Todd Boehly sits on the board of directors of Vivid Seats. It has also been reported that through his holding company, Mr Boehly owns approximately 41 per cent of Vivid Seats. Vivid Seats currently lists tickets for every Premier League fixture for the remainder of the season and most tickets are being sold for above face value at significantly inflated rates. For example, a ticket for Liverpool’s final home fixture of the season is currently listed on Vivid Seats for almost £20k. Most notably, Vivid Seats currently lists hundreds of Chelsea FC general admission tickets at significantly inflated prices. As these tickets are not sold by the Chelsea FC website, they are considered by CFC to be ‘illegal sales’.

“To further compound matters, Vivid Seats is also explicitly named on the Premier League website as ‘a known unauthorised ticket website’. Many CST members are clearly infuriated by this connection and have written to us to say that Mr Boehly’s association with Vivid Seats is a ‘breach of trust’ and ‘a clear conflict of interest’.”

“As a director of Chelsea FC and part-owner, Mr Boehly’s connection with Vivid Seats is totally inappropriate and significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League, and the Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting. Mr Boehly has been contacted directly by the CST and has been offered multiple opportunities to both publicly and privately address supporters’ concerns. Neither Mr Boehly nor his representatives have, however, acted on these requests, and thousands of tickets remain for sale on the Vivid Seats website. 

“The CST firmly believes that it is now time for the Premier League to act and investigate. We would welcome your views as chief executive officer of the Premier League on this matter and anticipate that the Premier League would take this opportunity to act swiftly and ensure that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value.”

The Football Supporters’ Association also backed the call and said: "The Football Supporters' Association is right behind the points made by our members at Chelsea Supporters' Trust. It is crystal clear that the Premier League needs to take action. Clubs, supporters' groups, the police and the Premier League itself has worked hard in recent years to combat ticket touting - there is no excuse for a club owner to be involved in such activity."

Chelsea's next home game is against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on April 3.