Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is facing increasing scrutiny over his ties to ticket resale company Vivid Seats, with the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) urging the Premier League to launch an official investigation into the matter.
The fan group has labelled Boehly's connection to the platform a serious conflict of interest. In addition to his role at Chelsea, Boehly serves as a director and investor in Vivid Seats, a resale site that, while operating legally outside the UK, has been flagged for enabling inflated ticket prices.
The Premier League has classified Vivid Seats as an "unauthorised" seller, yet international fans have been able to purchase tickets for as much as £20,000.
In an open letter to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, the CST stated: "This situation undermines the efforts of the club and authorities to combat illegal ticket touting." The group also revealed that multiple attempts to directly contact Boehly have been ignored.
The issue has now been escalated to the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), with the CST submitting evidence regarding the co-owner's alleged involvement in ticket resale.
Chelsea have since announced measures to crack down on secondary ticket sales, although they have not directly addressed Vivid Seats in their response. Meanwhile, concerns about Stamford Bridge's subdued atmosphere persist, with former manager Mauricio Pochettino and current coach Enzo Maresca both highlighting the lack of energy at home matches.
To address this, Chelsea will continue trialling a new dedicated singing section during next month's Europa Conference League clash against Legia Warsaw, in a bid to improve the matchday experience for supporters.