How much Man City will earn from Etihad Stadium expansion amid ‘sweetheart deal’ accusations

Manchester City are in line to bring in millions more each season following the expansion of the Etihad Stadium, but the rent they pay to its council owners has barely increased.

The figures have emerged following a revised lease agreement reached after the club's £300m redevelopment, which has taken the stadium's capacity beyond 60,000. The deal has attracted attention amid existing questions over Manchester City Council's relationship with the club's Abu Dhabi owners, particularly after fresh scrutiny was brought to the stadium's naming rights arrangement last month.

The lease had already been under review, but the latest figures have raised further questions about how much the council stands to gain from the expanded ground compared with the additional revenue available to City.

Why ‘sweetheart deal’ accusations have followed City

According to The i Paper, the council has faced accusations that it struck “sweetheart” arrangements with the club's owners, potentially leaving taxpayers out of pocket. The newspaper reported that the council's share of the stadium naming rights revenue was capped at £750,000 a year, despite the naming rights element of City's deal with Etihad Airways reportedly being worth between £10m and £15m annually. The council is understood to have received around £14m from the arrangement since 2011.

Manchester Life, a property venture involving the council and City's owners, has also attracted attention after being granted first refusal on land near the stadium. The i Paper added that Labour figures in Manchester have repeatedly rejected suggestions that the club's owners have received preferential treatment.

Separately, an independent commission found City guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, findings the club strongly disputes, and they have appealed against the verdict.

How much will Man City earn from Etihad Stadium expansion?

The i Paper reported that City paid the council around £4.4m in rent for the 2025-26 season, when average home attendance stood at 52,517 and matchday revenue exceeded £75m. With approximately 7,000 additional seats now available in the North Stand, it is estimated that the club could generate around £11m more each season.

However, the revised lease increases the basic annual rent by just £33,000, with further rises linked to inflation. That represents an increase of less than one percent. The council has pointed out that the agreement also includes two new leases, bringing in £252,000 annually for the City Square fanzone and £35,680 for the Medlock Square hotel and restaurant complex.

Reform group leader Sian Astley told the newspaper that the prospect of accommodating more supporters “would suggest the rent is way under what it should be”. She also claimed that councillors “were never informed” about the negotiations.

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With the Etihad owned by the council, there is a clear public interest in understanding how the revised rent was agreed and whether it reflects the additional income City could generate from the expansion. The redevelopment is a major investment in the stadium, but the relatively small increase in rent is likely to invite further scrutiny from supporters and taxpayers alike.