August 25 – Europe’s top five leagues took a €2 billion revenue hit last season because of the season being forced to be played behind closed doors due to global health crisis, according to a report by consultancy KPMG.
“It is expected that clubs in the big 5 leagues will make little-to-no income from this source in 2020/21, potentially losing out on over €2 billion euros of matchday revenues combined,” the report said. In the 2019/20 season, the pandemic struck in March leading to an unprecedented shutdown of the game and the top five leagues lost a combined €500 million in ticketing revenue, but that number is dwarfed by the ticketing losses last season.
The Premier League did allow some fans at the end of the season, but the pandemic will generate further losses in the ticketing department this season with only the English top flight and Ligue 1 so far allowing full capacity stadiums.
Germany has imposed a limit of 25,000 fans at grounds, with Serie A allowing grounds to be half full. La Liga admits 40% of fans, but will re-evaluate the situation at the end of the month.
KPMG also indicated that Euro 2020 was a seminal moment for the return of fans and laid the groundwork for more normality in the new club season, but also highlighted the concerns expressed in various quarters that the tournament was responsible for a rise in Covid-19 cases.
Earlier this week, data from England’s public health authority revealed that the competition’s final was a super-spreader event.
“With regard to players’ health, UEFA measures were considered rather successful, as only few incidents occurred,” the report highlighted. “However, there were also loud voices that condemned the tournament for some increases of new corona(virus) cases in the general population.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) blamed Euro 2020 for a rise of 10 percent in Covid-19 cases across Europe, mainly driven by the mixing of crowds in host cities, as well as travelling and the easing of social restrictions.”
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