Pandemic hits European football market |
Analysis by Deloitte shows that the European football market shrunk by 13% in the first few months of the pandemic, with total revenue down £3.4bn to £22.1bn in 2019/20. Clubs took a financial hit as matches were postponed and, when they eventually went ahead, were played in empty grounds, with this meaning ticket revenue was lost. Between Europe’s five biggest football leagues – the top divisions in England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France –revenue fell 11% to £13.2bn, Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance shows. In the English Premier League, aggregate revenue dropped by 13% from a record £5.2bn in 2018/19 to £4.5bn, with this the first ever year-on-year decrease. Reflecting on the findings, Deloitte's Dan Jones said: “It will be a number of years before the full financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on European football is known but we're now beginning to see the scale.” Despite the hit from the coronavirus crisis, Deloitte forecasts a “strong recovery” of football revenues in coming seasons, with Mr Jones saying the sport has “shown great resilience.”