Wimbledon Targets U.S. Market to Fund $168 Million Expansion

The Wimbledon tennis tournament is targeting the U.S. market for its guaranteed Centre Court seats for the first time to help pay for a 100 million-pound ($168 million) expansion of its grounds including a second retractable roof.

The All England Club, which organizes the annual championships, ran an advertisement in the New York Times in February to publicize the tickets, which were priced at 50,000 pounds each last week and may raise as much as 100 million pounds. These so-called debentures, valid from 2016 through 2020, give the right to a reserved seat on Centre Court for every day of the tournament in a five-year period. They are freely transferable and often trade at a premium.