Research: European broadcasters $2.2bn football profit
June 3, 2021
Broadcasters’ revenues for live football matches to their domestic leagues and the UEFA Champions League will reach $10.5 billion (€8.6bn) in the 2021/22 season [the first season when fans return to stadia] in the top five European countries, according to the European Football TV Revenues report from analyst firm Digital TV Research. These broadcasters will pay $8.3 billion for the rights.
The figures do not include revenues from commercial premises such as bars (5 per cent to 15 per cent of total revenues), from highlights or magazine programmes or from overseas sales. Calculations are only for live matches.
The UK leads the revenue charts by some distance, with $3.6 billion expected from screening live matches from the English Premier League and Champions League in the 2021/22 season. Equivalent revenues in Spain will be some way behind the UK at $2.3 billion. Germany, with the largest population of the five countries covered, will generate revenues similar to Spain.
Broadcasters’ revenues fell by $6.1 billion during the 2019/20 season as the pandemic hit hardest. Payments were deferred or reduced by the rights holders during the Covid lockdown.