January 22 – Almost half of the top 20 highest-earning football clubs in the world play in the Premier League, further evidence – if ever it was needed – of where the commercial clout lies.
But Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona lead the way in the 2016 Deloitte Football Money League that covers the 2014/15 season and measures a club’s earnings from matchday revenue, broadcast rights and commercial sources.
Revenues of the top 20 clubs have risen 8% to €6.6 billion, a new record. Real Madrid retained their place at the summit for the 11th year in a row, having generated £439 million with arch-rivals Barcelona rising two places to second and pushing Manchester United down to third. Qatari-backed Paris Saint-Germain were fourth and Bayern Munich fifth but the Germans’ fall from third leaves them in their lowest position since 2006-07.
A record nine Premier League clubs are placed in the top 20 with West Ham, who are planning an expansion move to the Olympic stadium, back in the list for the time since 2005-06. Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool occupied places six to nine, all of them notching up notable increases in revenues. Tottenham were in 12th spot, with Newcastle United and Everton at 17th and 18th.
All the 20 clubs represented are from the “big five” European leagues, with Italy contributing four clubs, Germany three, Spain three and France one.
Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “For the first time, the top three clubs in the Football Money League have all passed the €500 million revenue mark. Real Madrid once again delivered a strong financial performance, buoyed by growth in their commercial revenue. The planned redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabéu will help to continue the growth in match-day income in the coming years. Barcelona’s on-pitch achievements in the 2014-15 season have translated to financial success. The European champions have climbed to second place at the expense of Manchester United, with revenue growth across all areas of the business – match day, broadcast and commercial.”
Although United fell one place, they remain the highest-grossing Premier League club, earning €519.5 million. “Despite a reduction in revenue year-on-year, the fact that Manchester United remain in the top three of the Money League demonstrates the underlying strength of the club’s business model,” said Tim Bridge, senior manager at Deloitte.
“The return to Champions League football, as well as the commencement of a number of significant commercial partnerships, will only strengthen the business in 2015-16. With this in mind, it would not be surprising to see United top next year’s Money League for the first time in 12 years, with the club forecasting revenues of around £500 million (around €650 million).”
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