The company that operates the Aviva Stadium last year recorded operating profits of €7.03 million.
New accounts filed by New Stadium DAC - jointly owned by the IRFU and the FAI - show that the operating–profits of €7.03 million last year were up 6 per cent on the operating profits of €6.58 million in 2023.
Around 150,000 Taylor Swift fans packed into the Aviva across three sold out nights on June 28th, 29th and 30th last year as part of the mega-star’s European leg of her $2 billion ERAS tour.
Earlier in June of last year, Pink sold out two nights at the Aviva and according to figures from trade industry journal, Pollstar the two gigs generated a combined box office of $13.4 million after 101,388 fans paid to attend.
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Last August, revenues for the Aviva Stadium firm were boosted by the American college football game featuring Georgia Tech and Florida State University.
Next month, concerts by Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey will add to the revenues of New Stadium DAC.
The new accounts show that operating profits were up as the stadium generated €9.2 million in licence fees from the IRFU and the FAI during 2024 and this was a 15 per cent increase on the €8 million paid out in licence income by the two shareholders in 2023.
There was €1.3 million due from shareholders at the end of December last.
The sporting entities pay the fees to New Stadium DAC for matches staged at the Aviva which also generates income from catering contracts while a sizeable chunk of the company’s revenues would come from naming rights for the stadium.
In 2010, Aviva bought the naming rights for a reported €40 million over 10 years - or €4 million a year - and extended the deal in 2018 to 2025.
The deal agreed in 2018 came into effect in 2020 and a note attached to the New Stadium accounts states that the company’s share of its naming rights income is released to the profit and loss account each year.
Last year, New Stadium Ltd again paid out no dividend to its shareholders.
The stadium company recorded a pre-tax loss of pretax €2.33 million which was down on the the pretax loss of €3.15 million for 2022.
The pretax loss last year takes account of hefty non-cash depreciation costs of €9.36 million.
The company pays the IRFU €750,000 each year for the rent of the stadium land.
The number of employees employed by the stadium firm remained at 18 while staff costs also remained static at €1.8 million.
