How long can broadcasters and fans be expected to pay ever increasing amounts to Europe’s leading soccer clubs?
The top 32 clubs are worth billions – and the amount is growing every year fuelled by TV and radio paying for matchday rights.
The top table is the English Premier League, which accounts for 40% of the value of the top 32 clubs that also covers the leagues in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, according to The European Elite 2017, published by accountants KPMG.
Together the clubs are valued at 30 billion euros – up 14% in a year.
Manchester United most valuable club
The most valuable club is England’s Manchester United – ahead of Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. The value of Spanish club’s in the top 32 increased by 10% in the past year.
German club values were up 14% with only three clubs in the top table.
French clubs recorded a 6% increase, while Italian clubs are struggling to keep pace with those in the other major European leagues. Champions League finalists Juventus are the only Italian team in the top 10.
United is tagged at worth more than 3 billion euros, which is the first time a football club has surged past that valuation.
However, 10 clubs are valued at more than 1 billion euros.
Six English clubs now sit in the top 10 biggest earners from broadcast revenues.
Media rights
Andrea Sartori, KPMG’s Global Head of Sports and the report’s author, said: “The aggregate value of Europe’s 32 leading football clubs suggests that the overall value of football, as an industry, has grown. While this is partially explained by football’s broadcasting boom, the internationalisation of the clubs’ commercial operations, their investment into privately-owned and modern facilities, and overall more sustainable management practices, are also key reasons for this growth.
“In terms of media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans. However, unlike other factors, individual club’s ability to influence their broadcasting income is often limited, despite the very evident impact this revenue stream has on their enterprise value.”