Deloitte has released its annual Football Money League, showing the strength of Northern football clubs – at least on the spreadsheet.
Manchester City remained in second position, behind Real Madrid, which this year broke the €1bn barrier. City generated a measly €837.8m in comparison – it’s the largest gap between the top 2 clubs since Deloitte started compiling the stats.
Paris Saint-Germain were next in the league, with Manchester United rising to fourth place at €770.6m.
The next English club was Arsenal, as Liverpool dropped to 8th spot, with €714.7m. Newcastle United were also in the top 20, with €371.8m revenues.
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All together, the “Money League” clubs generated €11.2bn in 2023/24, which is an increase of 6% year on year.
That was driven by record matchday, commercial and broadcast revenues.
“Money League clubs continue to break records with ongoing growth in commercial and matchday revenues. While on-pitch performance is critical for teams to reach the top echelons of the rankings, high performing clubs are also able to diversify the way they generate revenue through unlocking innovative partnerships and developing the land and stadium space that they own or operate,” explained Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.
“While commercial revenue dominates the income of the top ten Money League clubs, broadcast income remains crucial for teams in the second half of the rankings. As competitions expand and create more broadcast and matchday opportunities, these can further increase the earning potential for clubs. At a time where there is more demand than ever for a greater number of matchdays, this must be balanced with player welfare, as they ultimately bring the on-field success that can earn clubs many further rewards off-field.”
Liverpool’s increased income was due to increased commercial revenue through brand activation and infrastructure investment.
For Newcastle broadcast revenue (€215m) dwarfed its matchday and commercial income.
Deloitte also looked at the Women’s game with the top 15 clubs generating revenues in excess of €100m for the first time.
Regionally, only Manchester United Women (€10.7m) made it into the top 5, with FC Barcelona Femení at the top, followed by Arsenal. Chelsea and Real Madrid completed the table.
“Women’s football clubs continue to drive growth and create new opportunities to engage fans by exploring their own ways to operate,” said Jennifer Haskel, Knowledge and Insight Lead in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.
“Whether it is through new commercial deals, innovative matchday experiences in main club stadia, or new club structures, the growth seen amongst women’s clubs is a testament to the dedicated investment of owners, commercial partners, and governance stakeholders.
“It is clear that the women’s game is growing rapidly across metrics including and beyond revenue. While women’s clubs have traditionally been compared to, or expected to mirror, the structure and business of men’s clubs, we are seeing a fundamental shift in the recognition of opportunity that stems from embracing key differences. By doing so, the industry has an opportunity to set the future direction of the game, for its players and fans, but also to drive revenues and better the sport itself.”
