European soccer governing body UEFA has revealed that revenues across top-tier clubs in UEFA competitions have reached record levels during the 2021-22 fiscal year.
UEFA’s European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report revealed that top-division UEFA clubs generated around €23.9 billion ($25 billion) of revenue in the 2021-22 fiscal year, the highest tally ever recorded.
The number is a massive increase from the €15 billion tally recorded a decade prior (2013), highlighting the rapid growth of European soccer’s commercial value.
Commercial revenue across European soccer has grown by 56% since 2013, sitting at €7.7 billion in 2013, compared to €5 billion ten years before.
An even greater growth effect contributing to rising revenues has been the soaring value of soccer media rights across the continent. UEFA clubs generated €4.6 billion from TV rights in 2013, a figure that has grown by 75% to €8 billion in 2022. Even this is a decline from the €9 billion tally of 2021, showing that there is still room for further increase.
The fact that 2022 saw the lingering financial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic induced shutdown and subsequent business contraction, yet still notched record revenues, indicates that the tally in 2023-24 and subsequent years could continue to grow even higher.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIndeed UEFA predicts that total revenue will exceed €26 billion in 2023-24, including a rise in TV revenue to €8.3 billion and commercial revenue to as much as €8.4 billion.
It will mean that total revenue across UEFA top divisions will have grown at a pace of over €1 billion per year for the last ten years.
UEFA itself helps to contribute revenue for top-tier clubs based on performance, and in 2021-22 paid out €2.9 billion to clubs, primarily to those competing in its Champions League, Europa League, and Europea Conference League competitions.
This is a 122% increase on 2013, showcasing the massive growth in money UEFA has made to allow it to dispense greater funds. 93.5% of UEFA’s club competition revenue is distributed towards its constituent teams.
Aleksander Čeferin, president of UEFA, stated in the report: “[The UEFA] model highlights the importance of revenue generated at the pinnacle of the football pyramid to sustain its base at the grassroots level and provide the much-needed funding to foster its growth. And the European Club Finance and Investment Landscape is a true testament to UEFA's role in upholding it."
