Matchday revenue for Europe’s 20 highest-earning clubs tops two billion euros
Share:
Matchday revenue for Europe’s 20 biggest-earning clubs surpassed two billion euros for the first time last season amid fan protests over ticket pricing. Data published by Deloitte on Thursday showed the top 20 clubs in its Football Money League earned 2.1 billion euros (£1.8bn) from matchdays in 2023-24, making it their fastest-growing revenue area – up 11 per cent compared to the previous season.
Matchday revenue also accounted for a greater share of clubs’ total revenue – 18 per cent – than it had since the 2014-15 season, Deloitte found. That comes at a time when fans in England – home to nine of the top 20 teams in the Deloitte standings – continue to call on clubs to stop exploiting supporters’ loyalty, in particular what they see as an attack on concessionary pricing for the young and old.
For all but one of the nine – Tottenham – matchday revenue increased in 2023-24 compared to the previous season. Ticket pricing is only one factor of course – increasing ground capacity is another way clubs can generate more income, plus longer runs in domestic and European competitions.
Prices are on the rise, though, with Premier League data from November last year showing the average ticket price in the top flight was now £38 across season tickets and general sale, up 18.75 per cent from where prices were prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Football Supporters’ Association said in a statement to the PA news agency: “Looking back to Covid when stadiums were closed to fans, we often heard that ‘football was nothing without fans’ thanks to the noise and atmosphere we generate. Football in an empty stadium isn’t the same.
