European revenues rise 10% in 2020-21 despite COVID

LONDON : European soccer revenues grew by 10 per cent in the 2020-21 season despite most an almost total lack of fans in stadiums, according to a report published on Thursday.

The season was like no other with the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing virtually all matchday income, but Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance showed the industry had held up across the continent with total revenues of 27.6 billion euros.

The so-called big five leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France enjoyed a combined 3 per cent rise in revenues with Italy's Serie A up 23 per cent to 2.5 billion euros and England's Premier League rising 8 per cent to 5.5 billion euros.

Deferred broadcast revenues from the previous season, 48 per cent in the case of Serie A, and the success of the postponed Euro 2020 tournament played across the continent in 2021, were behind the rise in European revenues, the report said.

"Clubs across Europe played a significant proportion of matches behind closed doors or with reduced capacity during the 2020/21 season which caused an almost complete loss of matchday revenue," said Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.

"It's testament to the resilience of the industry, the value driven by broadcast deals and the success of the Euros that the European football market has achieved tenacious growth, in revenue terms, over the past year."

Behind the impressive numbers, however, the picture was not rosy everywhere.

Germany's Bundesliga reported combined revenues down 6 per cent to 3 billion euros while Spain's La Liga also contracted by 6 per cent.

Of the big five leagues, only the Premier League saw an increase in clubs' cumulative operating profits, up from 49 million pounds to 479 million.

Alth