April 23 – LaLiga has released record revenue figures for 2016-17 showing the Spanish league generating €3.662 billion, a 15.6% increase of €495 million on the previous season. LaLiga is moving aggressively in international markets and domestically to build the value of its commercial rights, vocally targeting the Premier League and its dominant international position, particularly as regards broadcast revenue.
Premier League revenues were €4.9 billion for the 2015-16 season and accountants Deloitte predict they will be €5.2 billion for the 2016-17 season.
The LaLiga figures are not just about revenue growth, with the league pointing out that they show a turnaround in financial sustainability from the 2011/12 season when about 50% of LaLiga member clubs were in administration, forcing the league to introduce its financial control measures.
Spanish clubs had long been in trouble with the tax authorities but the figures also showed a reduction in tax debts of €554 million since January 2013, falling from €650 million to just €96 million over the past four seasons. LaLiga forecasts that the amount owed to the Spanish tax authorities will have dropped to €54 million by the end of the 2019/20 season.
LaLiga said that it clubs spent €406 million on improvements in infrastructure, whilst €740 million was invested in the clubs’ squads. Pre-tax profit was €234 million.
At the centre of the revenue growth is broadcasting income which rose from €729 million to €1.455bn between the beginning and end of the 2016/17 season – this is the first year of the centralised TV deal and accounts for about 40% of LaLiga’s revenue.
For the 2017-18 season, La Liga is expecting to break the €4 billion barrier.
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