Many Americans might disagree on this one, but soccer is the world’s most popular sport. A recent study by Deloitte shows it is also good business.
“2011/12 represented another strong year of revenue growth for the Game’s elite clubs, with the top 20 Money League clubs generating over €4.8 billion ($6.41 billion) in 2011/12, a 10% increase on the previous year,” states the study released Jan. 24.
According to the study, the 20 biggest clubs represent roughly one-quarter of the total European soccer (football) market, which accordingly totals $25.6 billion. This is very large compared to the Business Insider estimate of $9.5 billion for 2012 NFL revenue, the highest revenue league in North America.
In terms of revenue per team, soccer can only compare when looking at the top 20 biggest clubs, however. Their revenue on average is $321 million each, compared to $297 million on average for each of the 32 NFL teams. The soccer club average is bound to drop if the hundreds of teams represented in European soccer comprising the $25.6 billion total are taken into account.
