One team only's fans at São Paulo's football classics matches: media coverage and effects at public and in ticket office revenues

Abstract

Violence in football, which existed since its beginnings, persists, especially among fans, despite its professionalization and commercialization. In Brazil, this problem has been increasing, with emphasis on the conflicts that occurred in São Paulo in 2016. In response, authorities decreed restrictive measures, especially the prohibition of away fans in matches between the four main teams of the state of São Paulo. From this context, the research aimed to show how the media approached this determination and what was the effect of it, after one year, on the public and on ticket office revenue of the affected clubs. The analysis of the media coverage was based on the content published by Folha de S. Paulo and O Estado de S. Paulo at the moment of the decree and after one year, with the material analyzed by Content Analysis. About the public and the tickets' revenue, a documentary and comparative analysis of the financial reports of the São Paulo's classics games held in the São Paulo Championship of 2016 and 2017 and in the Brazilian Championship of 2015 and 2016 was carried focused on the total and away public; on general and away gross income; and on the average value of the tickets. Most of the material analyzed was informative, the main characters portrayed were representatives of the clubs, authorities, and experts, and the content was largely contrary to the measure, with an increase in the total audience and a positive financial balance. The research concluded that, although the newspapers analyzed were contrary, the ban of away fans in the São Paulo's classics games contributed to the increase in the public and income of the clubs involved.