How The European Championships Generate Revenue

UEFA’s accountants will be in their element this summer, with the 2024 European Championships in Germany set to generate massive revenues for the governing body.

The FIFA World Cup is the undisputed number one money-spinner in professional football, but Europe’s continental tournament also keeps the cash tills ringing.

Read on as we look at the revenues from the last five tournaments, before assessing what we can expect to see generated by Euro 2024 this summer.

European Championship Revenue from 2004 to 2020

(Statistics via Statista)

Betting companies set for Euro 2024 boom

Wagering on Euro 2024 betting sites will reach astronomical levels, with punters across the world preparing for a summer wagering frenzy on the tournament.

Industry analysts estimated around $8 billion was wagered on Euro 2020 and that figure may well be topped by the revenue this time around.

Mobile betting is expected to account for at least half of the wagers placed, highlighting the seismic shift towards this medium in recent years.

In-play wagering is also on track to keep booming and will likely account for more than 40 percent of all activity during the tournament this summer.

Europe will inevitably generate the bulk of the turnover at Euro 2024, but emerging markets in the Middle East and United States will see a flurry of wagers placed.

Fans will flock to Germany this summer

Ten German cities has been selected to host Euro 2024 in stadiums with capacities ranging from 42,000 (Leipzig) to 70,000 (Berlin).

UEFA were inundated with requests for match tickets, with more than 20 million applications made from fans in 206 countries during the first sales period.

A total of 270,000 tickets were made available for €30, while a further one million tickets were priced at €60 or less. For the final, 10,000 tickets were on sale for less than €100.

The influx of fans this summer will bring sizeable economic benefits to Germany, with tourism and hospitality among the sectors which will benefit most.

Hotels in the ten host cities are pricing a standard room an average of 57% above the rates seen in the six months from March to August 2024 excluding the tournament.

Commercial revenue will go through the roof

UEFA’s cash tills will be ringing relentlessly this summer, with the Euro 2024 tournament on track to generate a sizeable chunk of commercial revenue.

Many of the world’s biggest brands have splashed the cash to get involved in the tournament including Coca-Cola Zero, Hisense, Lidl and Visit Qatar.

Several official national sponsors will also garner significant brand exposure this summer including Deutsche Bahn, Wiesenhof and Deutsche Telekom.

The influx of income will allow UEFA to reward the participating nations, with each team set to receive €9.25 million simply for qualifying.

A total of €331m in prize money is up for grabs this summer, while UEFA also pays out €240m to clubs for releasing their players for international duty.

Broadcast deals could hit new landmark

The last two editions of the European Championships have each generated around €1.1bn in revenue from national and international broadcast deals.

The €1.2bn mark will likely be topped this year, with broadcast companies worldwide still willing to pay through the nose to secure major football rights.

Live streaming will play an increasingly important role this summer as fans continue to gravitate away from traditional broadcast platforms.

Multi-screen viewing is now the norm for many fans – a factor which is forcing broadcasters to think differently about the coverage they offer.

A recent study in the United Kingdom reported that 52 percent of fans will stream Euro 2024 this summer, highlighting the ongoing shift towards this medium.

Overall revenue may break €2bn barrier

Having generated around €1.9bn in revenue for the 2016 and 2020 editions of the tournament, Euro 2024 may break through the €2bn barrier for the first time.

Broadcast and commercial revenue have powered forward during the 21st century and similar percentage increases should send the figures soaring past €2bn.

While the overall Euro revenues do not compare to the estimated $7.5bn FIFA earned from commercial deals for the 2022 World Cup, they are still hugely impressive.

The 2028 edition in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will probably set new revenue records given the passion for football there.

Betting companies in particular will be eagerly anticipating the tournament as the region continues to lead the way as the top gambling jurisdiction worldwide.