As a major source of income for football clubs, broadcast revenue has skyrocketed over the past years, driven by the sport’s surging popularity and the explosive growth of digital streaming platforms. The Premier League has had a lion’s share in this lucrative market for years.
According to data presented by CasinosEnLigne.com, the United Kingdom generated almost 18% of global spending on football TV rights in 2023, nearly twice as much as Italy, France, or Spain.
Germany is the Second-Largest Market; Italy Drops to Fourth Place with an 8.9% Market Share
The broadcast revenue of a football club depends on several factors, including the popularity of the league it plays in, the number of games, and the size and global appeal of its fan base. In some cases, the team’s performance on the pitch can also impact the value of the broadcast rights. The Premier League has been an absolute leader in this market for years.
According to Ampere Analysis data, the United Kingdom, the home of the world’s highest-grossing football clubs, had nearly an 18% share in global spending on football TV rights this year. Although still the market leader, this represents a drop from the 21.1% market share the country had back in 2017.
The Deloitte Football Money League survey also showed that Liverpool FC tops broadcasting revenue in England’s top flight. Although Manchester City is the biggest revenue-generating machine, with €731 million in total revenue last season, Liverpool grossed €314 million in broadcasting revenue, or €20 million more than the Citizens.
Germany ranks second in the global football broadcasting market, with an 11.3% share this year. This represents an increase from 2017 when the spending share amounted to 9.5%. While Italy came second that year, the country fell to fourth place in 2023. Its market share dropped from 11.3% to 8.9% in this period.
On the other hand, Spain has seen its market share in global spending on football TV rights increase from 9.3% to 9.8% in six years, becoming the third-largest market globally. France ranked fifth on this list, with an 8.7% market share in 2023, down from almost 10% six years ago.
US Climbs the Chart of the Top Football Broadcasting Markets
In the world’s largest sports broadcasting market, the United States, football is the fourth most favored sport after American football and ahead of basketball and baseball.
The sport’s growing popularity among Americans has driven up the value of football TV rights. Recent landmark deals like the one between Apple TV and the Major Soccer League, or NBC and the Premier League for the next six-year cycle, prove that. Ampere estimates US TV companies will spend roughly $1.3bn on football rights in 2023, or three times more than in 2015.
Statistics show the US now accounts for 8.1% of the global football broadcasting market, double its share six years ago. Moreover, based on current trends, Ampere expects the US spending on football rights to surpass one of the major European countries by the end of the decade.
