By David Gold
January 31 – Brazil’s Brasilierão has climbed above Holland’s top flight to become the world’s sixth richest league, according to a study by BDO RCS, as football benefits from the country’s economic boom.
England’s Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and France’s Ligue 1 remain the top five leagues for revenue generation.
The rankings compiled did not include the valuation of players, which the organisation’s auditor Amir Somoggi claims distorts the results.
Instead the bulk of the figures analysed focused on television rights, stadium ticket and merchandise sales, and with 49 million people entering into the middle classes in the country in recent years, there is suddenly wealth to spare among football fans.
With R1.5 billion (£543 million/$863 million/€650 million), Brazil is R900 million (£326 million/$514million/€393 million) behind the French league.
The Premier League generates R5.7 billion (£2.1 billion/€2.48 billion/$3.28 billion), ahead of the Bundesliga (R3.8 billion/£1.3 billion/€1.65 billion/$2.2 billion), La Liga (R3.7 billion/£1.25 billion/€1.6 billion/$2.1 billion) and Serie A (R3.5 billion/£1.2 billion/€1.5 billion/$2 billion).
“While the clubs of Europe are struggling to maintain its revenues in Brazil we are just discovering this potential,” said Amir Somoggi, the author of the report, told O Estado de Sao Pãulo.
“New TV quotas, the operation of arenas, still little known here, naming rights.
“The Brazilian market is only beginning to develop.”
The league could overtake Ligue 1 in the years to come as the value of its television rights are likely to increase to over €400 million (£343 million/$548 million), whilst sponsorships are also rising in value due to the increased size of the middle classes.
Brazil’s top league has this year moved from a collective to an individual television rights selling model, giving the biggest clubs the opportunity to maximise these revenues.
The television deal last year under the collective deal brought in approximately R347 million (£126 milllion/€152 million/$200 million).
The likes of Corinthians and Santos will be particular beneficiaries of the new individual model, with their popularity rising recently.
Current Brazilian champions Corinthians have the fifth most valuable shirt sponsorship in the world, whilst Copa Libertadores holders Santos’ fanbase has increased by 151 per cent in recent years thanks in no small part to the performances of their star performer Neymar (pictured).
The hosting of the 2014 World Cup will further fuel the boom in the Brazilian game, with stadia being renovated and teams like Corinthians moving into new homes, though many clubs remain tenants in local authority owned grounds.
Thanks to their increased wealth, some of the country’s top exports return home earlier in their careers, with the likes of Ronaldinho, Luis Fabiano and Deco all back in Brazil after spells in Europe.
At the same time some of the country’s best young players, such as Neymar, his team mate Paolo Henrique Ganso and Internacional’s Leandro Damião are all staying in Brazil for longer, as their clubs are able to pay them the sort of wages they could expect to receive in Europe.
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