Deloitte: European football revenue surpasses euro40 billion for first time

The European football industry has surpassed the euro40 billion revenue mark for the first time, but growth prospects are becoming more reserved, amid an increasingly busy competition calendar and a market considered almost saturated. According to the annual report on football finance published by Deloitte and cited by Reuters, the revenue generated by European football reached euro40.2 billion in the 2024-2025 season, compared to euro38 billion in the previous season.

• Top leagues continue to dominate the market

The five major European championships - the Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1 - generated a combined revenue of euro21.6 billion, representing more than half of all European football revenue. According to Deloitte, the expansion of UEFA and FIFA competitions has contributed to this development, but the model based on increasing the number of matches is reaching its limits. Analysts estimate that European club revenues will stabilize or even decline in the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 seasons. "The expansion of UEFA and FIFA competitions has brought financial benefits to the "Big Five' leagues, but football cannot rely solely on producing an increasing volume of content to ensure sustainable growth,” said Tim Bridge, senior partner at Deloitte Sports Business Group. He warns that the overcrowding of the competition calendar can affect both the quality of the sporting spectacle and the interest of fans, given that commercial objectives risk prevailing over long-term development.

• Premier League consolidates its leading position

The Premier League remains the most profitable domestic competition in Europe. English Premier League clubs generated £6.8bn in revenue, up 8% on the previous season. Deloitte estimates that revenue will exceed £7bn for the first time in the 2025-26 season. The growth was supported by longer European trips by English clubs, higher ticket prices and expanded stadium capacity. At the same time, operating performance was not reflected in profitability. Pre-tax losses increased from £135m to £948m, amid strong investment in transfers and lower player gains.

• Different developments across major European leagues

The Bundesliga surpassed the euro4bn revenue mark for the first time, registering an annual growth of 12%. LaLiga reported total revenue of euro4.1 billion, with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona together generating 52% of the revenue of all clubs in the competition. Serie A saw a modest 4% increase to euro3 billion.

In contrast, Ligue 1 was the only major league to see a significant decline, with revenue falling by 15% to euro2.2 billion as commercial revenue fell.

• Championship remains reliant on external funding

The financial situation in the second tier of English football continues to be difficult. Championship clubs reported their first drop in revenue since the COVID-19 pandemic, with total revenue falling by 2% to £942 million.

At the same time, pre-tax losses rose by 12% to £355 million, with only three clubs ending the season in profit. According to Deloitte, most clubs in the three divisions of the English Football League still rely on shareholder funding or other external sources to maintain their liquidity. In this context, the authors of the report believe that new regulations on football governance, including the establishment of the Independent Football Regulatory Authority in England, could help improve financial discipline, but closing the gap with the Premier League will also require more effective commercial development.

• Women's football continues to accelerate

In contrast to the evolution of men's football, England's Women's Super League (WSL) has continued its rapid pace of development. The competition's revenue grew by 39% to £90m, marking the second consecutive season in which all 12 participating clubs exceeded the £1m revenue threshold. The Deloitte report, however, draws attention to the fact that the financial differences between clubs continue to widen, with the gap between the teams with the highest and lowest revenues increasing from 13 to 16 times in a single season. The report's conclusions show that while European football continues to generate record revenues, the next stage of development will depends less on expanding the competition calendar and more on the ability of clubs and organizers to identify sustainable sources of growth and maintain the financial balance of the industry.