The Football Clubs Market size is estimated at USD 913.92 million in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 117.39 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of greater than 5% during the forecast period (2024-2029).
In 2022, North America accounted for the largest share of the football clubs market. The fastest-growing region is expected to be Africa. The market is poised to benefit from robust economic growth projected for a number of developed and developing economies.
In the current year, the total revenue of the top 20 revenue-generating clubs was a 13% increase reported by Money League clubs in the previous year and only marginally lower than reported before the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in revenue was largely due to the return of fans, with matchday revenues rising from last year to the current year after two seasons affected by the pandemic.
In this unprecedented era of global sport, 2023 promises to provide organizations and athletes with more opportunities than ever before to engage deeply with their fan base. This includes taking part in some of the world’s most significant global sporting events, including the ICC World Cup in India, the Rugby World Cup in France, and the women’s FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. There will also be new media partnerships and more innovation from streaming services as they expand their reach.
Football clubs use social media and mobile apps to expand their reach and connect with fans in a more personal way. This has resulted in the development of new revenue sources, including digital advertising, online shopping, and streaming services.
The growing health consciousness among consumers is leading to the need to follow a healthier lifestyle. Consumers are engaged in several sports activities to maintain their health. The majority prefer outdoor games, such as football, as these outdoor sports activities require significant physical effort, thus enhancing the stamina levels of the players. Football also helps keep the body strong, flexible, and fit. It can also help avoid several health diseases and increase the mental stability of individuals. Therefore, being a complete workout package, the game is becoming popular among athletes, cricketers, and others. Moreover, government initiatives to promote football events are boosting people's interest in playing the sport, such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 was set to boost people's interest in the country. Such factors are driving the sales of football worldwide.
Additionally, an independent identity, FIFA Foundation promotes football to accomplish its social responsibility through its various programs, such as Foundation Community Programme, Recovery Programme, FIFA Legends Programme, Football for Schools Programme, Campus Programme, Refugee Programme, and Employee Volunteer Programme. In the post-COVID-19 world, the FIFA Foundation is using football to help reconnect society, promote and support mental health awareness, and help empower and inspire people to participate in football for a healthy mind and body. This, in turn, is increasing the football participation rate across the globe and aiding the growth of the global football market.
A football club’s revenues can be broken down broadly into three overarching categories — commercial, broadcast, and matchday. While broadcast revenues are mostly dependent on the auction of TV rights, matchday revenues (ticket sales) are generally constrained by the capacity of a club’s stadium. Commercial revenues, therefore, become crucial for a club’s financial performance. However, over the past five years, broadcast revenues have increasingly become more important, primarily due to leagues striking lucrative TV deals and the increasing payouts by UEFA for teams competing in the Champions League. While commercial revenues are crucial, not all clubs have the ability to leverage their brand. Top clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid have a massive international profile; therefore, they have great potential to raise money from merchandise sales, promotions, and sponsorship. Even among the top 20 clubs, there are wide disparities. For instance, Barcelona’s revenue from commercial operations is €20 million more than La Liga rival Atletico Madrid’s entire revenue for the 2018-19 season.
The football clubs market is growing competitive. Football is a popular sport which is played globally. The increase in football club events at global and national levels influences the participation of players. Furthermore, this influence fuels the growth of the global football club market. Observing this response from the market, manufacturers are endeavoring to increase the quality and features of their products. The top five football clubs in the world are Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Liverpool.
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