Matchday revenue for European giants breaks €2billion for first time amid fan protests over ticket prices
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Europe's 20 highest-earning clubs brought in combined matchday revenues of more than €2billion for the first time last season, amid fan protests over rising ticket pricing. A report published by Deloitte on Thursday showed the 20 clubs in its so-called Football Money League earned a combined €2.1bn (£1.8bn) from matchdays across the 2023/24 season.
That made matchday income the fastest-growing revenue stream, with matchday revenues up 11 per cent on the previous season. Matchday revenue now accounts for 18 per cent of clubs’ total revenue, a larger share than in the 2014/15 season. The report from Deloitte comes during a time of frustration from a lot of supporters, particularly in England, over hiked ticket prices and the increased cost of following football. Nine of the 20 clubs Deloitte used to compile its data are from England.
Of the nine English clubs, only Tottenham did not enjoy an increase in matchday revenue in 2023/24 compared to the previous season. Longer runs in domestic and European cup competitions and expanding stadiums to increase their capacity are other examples of ways some clubs have managed to bring in more revenue.
Data from November showed that the average Premier League ticket price is now £38, up 18.75 per cent from where the figure stood prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Deloitte’s data shows Real Madrid are the only club with a sharper rise in matchday income than England’s richest clubs, and that is explained by the completion of renovations to their iconic Bernabeu stadium. The next four biggest percentage increases were all enjoyed by English clubs.
