Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club

What Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club does

Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club, founded in 1992 and operated by Sportfact Ltd (England company no. 2936656), is a professional ice hockey franchise competing in the Motorpoint Elite League, the top tier of British ice hockey comprising 10 teams across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The club plays its home matches at the 2,001-seat Guildford Spectrum arena in Surrey, a multi-use leisure complex that attracts nearly 2 million visitors annually. The club fields a roster of approximately 30-35 players and support staff, including Head Coach & GM Paul Dixon (all-time club leader with 928 games), COO Kirk Humphreys, Assistant Coach Andy Hemmings, Junior Head Coach Milos Melicherik, Director of Scouting Brad Morgan, an athletic therapist, and a kit manager.

The club's product portfolio centers on professional ice hockey entertainment across a 36+ home-game regular season (September through April), supported by individual match tickets, season ticket memberships (capped at 1100 and sold out for 2026-27), VIP hospitality boxes, corporate sponsorship packages, and merchandise sold online and at match nights via Legacy Sportswear. Supplementary offerings include a streaming service (guildfordflames.tv), Flames TV video content on YouTube, the Guildford Ice Hockey Supporters Club (GIHSC) with bundled membership for season ticket holders, a Kit Sponsorship Grid (£2-£35 per player per season), and community initiatives such as the NHL Street Hockey UK programme for children aged 5-11.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer ticket sales, event-driven matchday revenue, and corporate/B2B revenue through match sponsorship tiers (Bronze £1,000 / Silver £2,000 / Gold £3,000), annual team sponsorship from £25,000, box hire from £200, and digital/rink/ice advertising at £1,000-£2,000. Distribution is operated through the Spectrum box office (online, phone, in person), online platforms, direct corporate sales, and earned media coverage through Greatest Hits Radio, Surrey Advertiser, Viaplay, and Premier Sports. Average match attendance of 1700+ against the 2001-seat capacity indicates consistent near-capacity utilization.

Name

Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club

Legal name

Sportfact Ltd t/a Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club

Website

https://guildfordflames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club is a professional franchise competing in the UK's Motorpoint Elite League, operating from the 2,001-seat Guildford Spectrum arena and generating revenue through match tickets, season memberships, corporate sponsorships, VIP hospitality, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Ice Hockey Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Sports Teams/Clubs (Ski, Snowboard, Bobsleigh, etc.) (MPAKABAI)

Keywords

• Professional ice hockey
• Live sports entertainment
• Season ticket sales
• Corporate hospitality sponsorship
• Match ticketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Guildford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Match tickets sold at various price bands (Adult £20.95, Concession £16.95, Child £10.95) plus season tickets (£440-460 adult). Arena capacity 2001 with average attendance 1700+ per match including ~1000 season ticket holders.
2. Corporate Hospitality & Sponsorship: Gold Match Sponsor (£3000), Silver Match Sponsor (£2000), Bronze Match Sponsor (£1000). Official Team Sponsorship from £25,000, Player Sponsorship £500, Video Wall £1000, Rink Boards £2000.
3. Box Hire: Private VIP hospitality boxes for 8-10 people (£200) and 15-18 people (£330), plus on-ice photo opportunities and player announcements (£20 each).
4. Supporters Club Membership & Merchandise: Season ticket holders receive GIHSC membership included. Non-season ticket holders: Adult £9, Junior £5, Family £21 annual membership. Kit sponsorship from £2 to £35 per season.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club operates a professional ice hockey franchise competing in the UK's top-tier Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), playing home matches at the 2,001-seat Guildford Spectrum arena. The club generates revenue through match and season ticket sales, VIP hospitality box hire, corporate sponsorship and advertising packages, supporter memberships, and branded merchandise. It also delivers community engagement programs such as the NHL Street Hockey UK initiative for children aged 5-11.

Product overview

Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club operates as a professional ice hockey franchise competing in the Motorpoint Elite League (EIHL). The club's product portfolio centers on its core offering: competitive ice hockey entertainment at Guildford Spectrum (2,001-seat arena), supported by ticket sales, season memberships, VIP hospitality boxes, and corporate sponsorship packages. Supplementary offerings include Flames TV video content, live streaming, the official merchandise shop, and the Guildford Ice Hockey Supporters Club (GIHSC) which provides membership benefits, lottery programs, and social events. The club also participates in community initiatives including the NHL Street Hockey UK programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Match Tickets & Season Tickets
• VIP Hospitality Boxes
• Corporate Sponsorship & Advertising
• Official Merchandise
• Supporters Club Membership (GIHSC)
• Kit Sponsorship Grid
• On-Ice Photo & PA Announcements
• Live Streaming Service (guildfordflames.tv)
• Elite League Ice Hockey Competition (Motorpoint Elite League)

Quantifiable outcome

• Average attendance of 1700+ per match out of 2001 capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Newfoundland DiagnosticscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026Two-season agreement (2026/27 and 2027/28) for jersey and ice rink branding. Newfoundland brand features on jerseys and ice rink at every home game. Partnership connects two organizations committed to performance, resilience and proactive wellbeing.
• Bauer UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Multi-year equipment supplier partnership. Bauer UK supplies industry-leading kit supporting players and staff. Partnership aligns with Bauer Hockey's nearly 100 years of heritage and commitment to advancing the game through cutting-edge product design and athlete safety.
• NHL/Ice Hockey UKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2025NHL Street Hockey programme pilot launching in 6 UK cities (2025-2026) expanding to more in 2026-2027. Guildford Flames one of 6 Elite League clubs participating. Programme provides free ball hockey equipment and instruction to youth ages 5-11, removing traditional barriers to entry with no ice rink required.
• MotorpointflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 July 2025Five-season naming rights partnership (until 2031) making the Elite Ice Hockey League the Motorpoint Elite League. Motorpoint is the leading nearly new and used car retailer in the UK with strong national presence. Partnership includes exclusive naming rights for regular season and playoff games, integrated branding across league assets including ice logos, team jerseys, and rink side advertising.
• Sports Entertainment ToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Travel Partner of the Elite League offering official playoff travel packages including tickets, travel and hotel. Exclusively selling special Playoff Travel Packages for 2027 Playoff Finals.
• HockeyStationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year sponsorship returning for 4th and 5th season. Hosts Bauer Fest family fun day events at arena.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Manchester Storm: EIHL club at the AO Arena Manchester's smaller Planet Ice Altrincham venue. Operates the same small-to-mid professional ice hockey franchise model, generating revenue from tickets, sponsorship and merchandise.
• Cardiff Devils: One of the Elite Ice Hockey League's flagship clubs, based in Cardiff, Wales. Competes in the same Motorpoint Elite League as Guildford Flames with a comparable business model built on ticket sales, season memberships, corporate sponsorship and a similar arena-footprint economics.
• Sheffield Steelers: Founding EIHL club playing out of the Utilita Arena Sheffield. Closest historical rival to the Flames and operates the same diversified revenue model (season tickets, corporate sponsorship, hospitality, merchandise) at a bigger arena.
• Belfast Giants: Elite League member based at the SSE Arena Belfast with a significantly larger venue than the Spectrum. Operates the same mix of season tickets, sponsorship tiers, hospitality boxes and merchandise, and has historically been the EIHL's attendance leader — a useful benchmark for Flames' upside.
• Nottingham Panthers: Long-established EIHL club at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham — relevant because its arena is named for the same Motorpoint brand now sponsoring the league. Operates the same matchday/sponsorship/hospitality model as the Flames.
• Dundee Stars: Scottish Elite League member playing at the Dundee Ice Arena. Closely comparable as a smaller-market EIHL franchise with a similar attendance scale and ticket/sponsorship mix.
• Fife Flyers: Scotland-based EIHL club at the Fife Ice Arena with one of the smaller home attendances in the league. Comparable as a long-standing but resource-constrained UK professional ice hockey franchise competing for similar sponsorship and ticket revenue.
• Coventry Blaze: Elite League club at the Skydome Coventry with a comparable mid-sized arena footprint and similar ticket/sponsorship/merchandise model to Guildford Flames.
• Glasgow Clan: Scottish Elite League member based at Braehead Arena, with the same matchday ticket, season membership and corporate sponsorship structure as the Flames and serves as a direct competitor on the ice.

Emerging players

• Swindon Wildcats: Long-established NIHL (National Ice Hockey League) club in southern England — the tier below the EIHL where Guildford's junior and Phoenix teams also play. Useful as an adjacent-tier UK ice hockey operator with overlapping sponsorship, ticketing and community models.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flamesicehockey
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FlamesIceHockey
• Facebookfacebook.com/166729103347353
• Instagraminstagram.com/flamesicehockey
• TikToktiktok.com/@theguildfordflames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guildford-flames-ice-hockey-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club