Deloitte has released its annual financial review of European soccer leagues, and the Premier League reigns supreme in revenue again. However, the overall gap in revenue generated by the English top flight compared to other leagues is quite impressive.
According to the report, the top-five leagues in Europe (England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France) generated a combined $18.7 billion during the 2021/22 financial year. Of this amount of money, the Premier League was responsible for nearly $7 billion alone. This is more than a third of the combined revenue in these top five divisions.
Not only is this statistic spectacular, but it equals revenue produced by LaLiga and Bundesliga combined. The Spanish league generated about $3.5 billion during this timeframe, while Bundesliga racked up $3.4 billion.
Broadcasting deals fueling Premier League revenue dominance
Massive television broadcasting deals are the main factor in these figures. The Premier League raked in $3.8 billion alone in television revenues. This astronomical number includes both domestic and international broadcasting deals. Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 did not generate this much television money combined for the 2021/22 season.
“What the Premier League has managed to do where the other leagues haven’t is accelerate that international picture,” Chris Wood, assistant director in the Sports Business Group, told The Athletic. “It’s the most watched league, broadcast into pretty much every country around the globe. That’s reflected in the TV revenue deals. We might be seeing the domestic broadcast deals flatline a little bit but the growth in international markets is still continuing.”
Along with broadcasting revenue, the Premier League also outshined their rival divisions in matchday income and sponsorship. The English top flight generated nearly $1 billion on matchday revenue alone. This is essentially four times the amount that Serie A produced.
Big clubs carrying Premier League
The popularity of the ‘Big Six’ clubs in England has driven the Premier League to the top. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur accounted for $4.9 billion in combined total revenue.
Total revenues were close between these five European leagues a decade ago. Nevertheless, the Premier League has obviously created a major gap to emphatically take the lead. And these massive figures for the English division do not appear to be slowing down any time soon.
PHOTO: IMAGO / PA Images
