How Integral Is Matchday Revenue To Premier League Clubs?
Matchday revenue is one of the major sources of income for Premier League football clubs, and it includes how much money is made from things such as ticket sales, merchandise sales, and food and drink sales from the catering & hospitality sector.
It’s the money that’s paid out by the fans, and it includes money spent at both home and away games. Here we will be taking a closer look at how integral matchday revenue really is.
How much do Premier League clubs make on matchday?
Matchday revenue tends to be the third biggest source of income, so it’s extremely important to have a packed-out stadium and sell all tickets every game. It helps that Premier League tickets sell out fast for many clubs, home and away. The biggest source of income is through television/streaming broadcasting deals, which is then followed by sponsorship revenue and the money from various other commercial deals. Exactly how much do clubs make on matchday?
According to recent reports, some of the biggest matchday revenue earners in the Premier League are Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea. The exact amount will vary from one game to the next, and home games are where the most money is made. Surprisingly, Tottenham earned around €107 million in matchday revenue for the 2020/21 season.
In comparison, Manchester United earned around €98.8 million. Arsenal earned around €89.7 million. Liverpool made around €82.7 million, and Chelsea reportedly earned around €62.1 million. Some of the other big earners on matchday from around Europe are Barcelona, who topped the chart in 2020/21, earning somewhere in the region of €126.4 million, with Real Madrid close behind, earning around €108.2 million.
What does matchday revenue include?
The money earned from match days includes ticket sales, merchandise sales, and food and drink sales from the catering & hospitality sector. In more recent times, prices have risen, plus the cost of living has also risen. In other words, fewer people are eating out, and more people are eating at home before the game, or they are finding cheaper places to eat, which has had an effect on how much each club earns.
In 2022, fewer people are spending money on merchandise from the club shops too, which has also had a negative effect on how much revenue each club earns. A handful of clubs have been quick to respond and have lowered prices for certain items, but the majority of clubs have seen some prices skyrocket. Some ticket prices are still relatively low, which is why we still see completely sold-out games.
Can Premier League clubs survive without matchday revenue?
If people didn’t attend the games, it would mean that hardly any merchandise would be sold, and the catering & hospitality sector wouldn’t be able to sustain itself. In short, matchday revenue is extremely important, and clubs (whether big or small) simply couldn’t survive without it. They could perhaps survive for a while, but they wouldn’t last long without this all-important source of income.
Image: Pixabay
