Wimbledon's Most Interesting (And Secretive) Details
Wimbledon may look like a quaint garden party, but behind the manicured lawns and royal pageantry lies one of the most secretive and sophisticated operations in sports.
We’re talking about a tournament that generated $75 million in profit last year, has a $141 million pandemic insurance payout on its resume, and sells debenture seats for $160,000 — just for five years of access to the tournament. Oh, and they also have a set of underground tunnels connecting everything on the property, and they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on future renovation plans, all while donating 90% of their profits back to British tennis organizations. Wimbledon may be steeped in tradition, but make no mistake: this tournament is a money-printing machine.
Today’s newsletter will peel back the curtain on Wimbledon’s most interesting and secretive details. With nearly 50 unique bullet points, we’ll cover everything you could possibly imagine about the most prestigious tournament in tennis. That includes a breakdown of Wimbledon’s revenue streams, a look at the 160 high-tech cameras used to broadcast the event, how the groundscrew prepares the courts each year, why no matches can be played after 11 pm, the club’s membership process, and so much more.
This newsletter is for paid subscribers only (because it takes me dozens of hours to put together, and that’s what they pay me for). But if you have been on the fence about upgrading your subscription, today’s the day to jump in. I don’t care how big of a tennis fan you might be; this is the most detailed breakdown of Wimbledon anywhere on the internet, and I guarantee it has several items you have never even considered.
Enjoy the tournament (and feel free to take credit for these facts with your friends).
Humble Beginnings to Financial Juggernaut: The first Wimbledon Championship in 1877 initially featured only a men’s tournament. Each of the 22 players paid a £1 entrance fee, with the winner taking home £12. The final had 200 fans in attendance and lasted only 48 minutes, resulting in a £10 profit for the tournament. But today, it’s a very different story. The 500-member private club that hosts Wimbledon now generates $500 million each summer, with nearly $75 million in profit last year alone.
Revenue Breakdown: Wimbledon makes about half of its money from global broadcast rights, with ticket sales (16%), sponsorships (16%), and concessions and merchandise (12%) adding substantial revenue. However, similar to the Masters, Wimbledon intentionally leaves millions of dollars on the table each year by selling thousands of cheap tickets and limiting sponsorship inventory to protect its brand.
COVID Payout: Wimbledon spent $2 million per year on pandemic insurance, totaling $34 million over 17 years. But when COVID-19 canceled the tournament in 2020, Wimbledon reportedly received a $141 million payout from the policy. That was the largest pandemic-related insurance payout for any sports tournament globally.
Expensive Debentures: Wimbledon raises money for special projects (like the retractable roof on Centre Court) by selling debentures. These are five-year season tickets that guarantee your seat for each match on Centre Court or No. 1 Court, including access to special VIP lounges. Debenture holders can use the tickets themselves, give them away, or sell them on the secondary market. But with 2026 through 2030 passes selling for $160,000, all sales are regulated by the FCA. Still, despite the price, all 2,520 Centre Court debentures were purchased when they went on sale in 2022, raising roughly $400 million for the club’s future expansion efforts.
Underground Tunnels: Players can access all areas of the All England Club via a network of underground tunnels that run throughout the property. It’s sort of like a maze; as you go from one tunnel to the next, you’ll pass by the locker rooms, a gym, a media center, a restaurant, stringing service, and the Hawk-Eye operations room — all underground. Wimbledon even built a service road underground that runs from the outside to directly under Centre Court, allowing supply trucks to bring in items such as water bottles and napkins without being seen by fans roaming the property above.