Real Madrid are the first football club to top a billion euros in revenue during a single season, fuelled by income generated by the revamped Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, according to accountancy firm Deloitte.

The order of the clubs at the top of Deloitte’s annual Football Money League stayed the same, with Madrid at 1.05 billion euros ($1.09bn) followed by Premier League champions Manchester City ($872m) and Paris Saint-Germain ($839m).

The $216m gap between first and second is the biggest Deloitte has ever recorded.

The dramatic refurbishment of the home of Real Madrid doubled matchday revenues to $258m in the 2023-24 campaign.

Madrid have taken out loans totalling more than $1bn since 2018 to renovate the Bernabeu, with the aim of turning it into a major source of revenue.

The state-of-the-art venue now boasts an undulating metal roof, shops, expanded VIP areas and a retractable pitch.

Pop megastar Taylor Swift is among the big names who have performed at the stadium since it reopened, while the NFL’s first game in Spain will take place there later this year.

However, Madrid’s aim of using the Bernabeu, which has a capacity of about 80,000, to generate extra cash has been hit by complaints over noise pollution from residents, with the club temporarily suspending the hosting of concerts.

“Club stadia are increasingly being valued as more than just matchday assets, with a number of clubs converting their grounds into multiuse entertainment venues that attract new visitors, sponsors, and retail opportunities.” said Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.

“Football clubs are now realising the value of becoming far more than sporting brands, with media and entertainment becoming intertwined with the commercial potential that they have to offer.”

Despite an 11 percent rise in matchday revenue, commercial remained the biggest revenue source for the 20 Money League clubs for the second year running, accounting for 44 percent of total revenue.

Broadcast revenue was stable at 4.4 billion euros ($4.6bn) as each of the “Big Five” leagues – England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany – remained in the same domestic broadcast cycle as the preceding season.

English clubs continue to dominate, fuelled by the Premier League’s television revenues, with six of the top 10 and nine among the 20 Money League clubs.

Manchester United rose to fourth on the back of a return to the Champions League ($802m), ahead of Bayern Munich ($796m).

Barcelona slipped to sixth as renovation work on their Camp Nou stadium has forced the Catalan giants to switch to the smaller Montjuic, which hosted the 1992 Olympics.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea complete the top 10 even though the latter three clubs missed out on the Champions League last season.

Barcelona remain top of the list of women’s sides for a third straight year with $18.6m in revenue, a 26 percent increase from the 2022-23 season.

Arsenal Women ($17.9m) are second, followed by Chelsea ($13.9m), Manchester United ($11.1m) and Real Madrid ($10.9m).

Source: Al Jazeera 

BDST: 1527 HRS, JAN 23, 2025
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