June 15, (THEWILL) – The English Premier League and other top European football leagues experienced a remarkable resurgence in revenues, with the EPL alone witnessing a 12 percent increase to an unprecedented £5.5 billion ($6.96 billion) during the 2021-22 season, according to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance.
The revival was fuelled by the return of passionate fans to stadiums after the COVID-19 pandemic. Deloitte’s analysis further revealed that the “big five” leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France collectively saw a 10 percent rise in revenues. Notably, La Liga in Spain witnessed an 11 percent surge to €3.3 billion ($3.57 billion), while Ligue 1 in France skyrocketed by 26 percent to €2 billion.
Remarkably, the EPL’s matchday revenue for the 2021/2022 season surged to £763 million, far surpassing the previous season largely played without spectators, and even surpassing the pre-pandemic levels of €684 million during the 2018/2019 season. Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, noted the resilience of European football during these challenging times, stating: “Topline figures show that European football has emerged resiliently from its most challenging period to date. Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, fans’ pent-up demand gave rise to record matchday and commercial revenues across Europe.”
Despite the revenue surge, operating profits in the big five leagues have declined by €1.8 billion since the 2018/2019 season, mainly due to a 15 percent increase in wage costs. To address this concern, clubs will have to make adjustments to wage costs to comply with UEFA’s new “sustainability regulations” implemented in 2022, which limit teams from spending more than 70 percent of their revenue on player salaries.
Bridge emphasised the need for long-term financial sustainability: “The focus for all clubs must now shift to ensure long-term financial sustainability across the football system, and the introduction of new regulations across European football are appropriately timed to support this.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
