Women’s Football Clubs Generate Over €150m For First Time
The top 15 revenue generating women’s football clubs globally will be revealed when Deloitte releases its annual Football Money League report on Thursday (22nd Jan).
In what will be another record-breaking year, these clubs have reported average revenues in excess of €10m for the first time, with cumulative revenues of €158m, marking an increase of 35% on last year’s total.
Arsenal Women tops the list for the first time this year, with revenues of €25.6m, an increase of 43% from the previous season. The club introduced tiered pricing to encourage repeat attendance, leading the way for Arsenal Women to top matchday revenue generation across the top 15 clubs analysed (€7m).
Chelsea Women ranks in a close second (€25.4m), having generated the highest commercial revenue amongst the top 15 (€19.1m). FC Barcelona Femení (€22m) completes the top three after another successful domestic season.
Cumulatively, the revenue generated by this year’s top three clubs represents 46% of that of the top 15. These three clubs all won major trophies during the 2024/25 season, and generated average revenue of €24.3m – more than treble the average revenue generated by the rest of the top 15 clubs analysed (€7m).
Jennifer Haskel, knowledge and insight lead in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, said: “The topline revenue growth across women’s football clubs reflects the ongoing innovation and commercially focussed mindset in some of the games’ leading markets.
“The women’s game is beginning to carve its own path with new and expanded brand partnerships, new ticketing strategies and dedication to truly understanding the evolving fanbase.
“As average revenues reach a new high, there is a meaningful gap forming between the top ranked clubs and the rest of the pack. However, what is clear across the ranking, is that there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for how to reach and engage fans, or how to deliver on a club’s business objectives.
“While clubs will continue to benefit from on-pitch success, expanding and improving business operations can further develop the club’s global brand value and ultimately provide funds that can be reinvested back on the pitch to improve the overall product.”
Across the three key revenue streams, commercial revenue remains the main driver of growth for women’s football clubs, comprising almost three quarters (72%) of the top 15 clubs’ total revenue.
Average matchday revenue generated by the top 15 clubs increased from €1.3m in 2023/24 to €1.5m in 2024/25, an increase of 15%. However, in contrast to this revenue growth, attendances have in some cases decreased, with five WSL clubs reporting a season-on-season drop after the record-breaking 2023/24 season.
Amongst the top 15 clubs, broadcast revenue declined by 6% to €1.3m on average in 2024/25, now representing 13% of total revenue. However, broadcast revenue increased marginally (3%) amongst the thirteen clubs that also featured in last year’s top 15. This relative stability is in part driven by the timing of leagues’ domestic rights cycles, many of which have several seasons until expiry.
