The Economics of Performance in Top-Flight Football

Sports performanceremains paramount tocommercial success

With increasing prizes deriving from continental competitions, on-pitchperformance remains fundamental for top clubs in ensuring that UEFArevenues and commercial exploitation remain viable growth avenues.

Spreading the wealth:Diverging economiccapabilities across Europe

The English Premier League grants its clubs the highest prize money forparticipation, classification and broadcasting rights. The gap with other topleagues is widening, as these are not able to provide prize money as high asEPL.

The new rules of the game:Sanctions under UEFA FFPrules keep clubs compliant

With the first European clubs having been sanctioned in recent years afterbreaching UEFA FFP rules, top clubs need to adapt their expenditure in orderto comply and ensure their economic strategy is sustainable.

“Winning isn’t everything”:An emerging mantra forinternational investors

Many new investors, often from abroad, are entering the football universe. Inmany cases, the investment is not aimed at achieving sports victories, but toensure visibility and self-promotion, with performance viewed as a means tosustain the high-level image of a club’s brand.

Signing top players tocatalyse commercial growthis more crucial than ever

Despite transfer fees rising, signing the right top player can benefit beyond justticketing or merchandise revenue, it can also bring about better performancesand thus better broadcasting and commercial possibilities for the future.

Future focus is onperformance andsustainability

Over the coming seasons, the theme in European football will be balance –balancing the club’s expenditure with revenue, thus ensuring the sustainabilityof the club within the FFP framework.