Published: July 31, 2009

Research and Markets: Football Clubs & Finance Market Report 2009: Broadcasting Rights Now Comprise Half of All Revenues in the Premier League, up from 31% in 2000

DUBLIN - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/92c108/football_clubs_f) has announced the addition of the "Football Clubs & Finance Market Report 2009" report to their offering.

Professional football is as popular now as ever before, both as a 'live' spectacle at the stadium and on television. In the club season, which finished in May 2009, the UK's main professional and semi-professional employers of footballers are estimated to have generated revenues of Â£2.73bn, compared with Â£1.21bn at the start of the decade. This report forecasts that the market will rise to Â£3.5bn by 2013.

The strong growth rate has been driven by a variety of long-term improvements to the British club game, including stadium investment, foreign players and managers and attracting a more affluent and socially varied audience. However, the 2000 to 2009 period has brought two major boosts: broadcasters competing for the right to show Premier League matches, and investment from outside the UK.

Broadcasting rights now comprise half of all revenues in the Premier League, up from 31% in 2000.

Foreign investment was spearheaded, famously, by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea when he bought the club in 2003. Since then, historic clubs, including Manchester Utd, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City, have found foreign owners with the money to buy exciting new players. (For example, within days of buying Manchester City in 2008, its Abu Dhabi-based owners set a new UK transfer record, paying Â£32m to bring the Brazilian footballer Robinho to the club.)

This kind of investment may allow Manchester City and other foreign-owned English clubs to compete in the future with the 'big four' - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester Utd - which have been threatening to monopolise the club awards every year. This foursome provided three of the four semi-finalists in the 2008/2009 Champions League as they did for the two previous years. Three of the 'big four' - Manchester Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal - have a turnover in excess of Â£200m a year, far more than is generated by even second-tier Premier clubs such as Everton or Aston Villa (under Â£100m each).

The successful club of the future, whatever its size, will be one which learns to maximise revenues from the unprecedented number of sources now available. In addition to the broadcasting rights, match-day revenues are generated not only from ticket admissions, but also from sales in the club's shops, bars and restaurants; punters invest here to make a 'day out' of the live occasion. There is no shortage of sponsors for rights to adorn everything from shirts to stadia, and although supporters may object to the over-commercialisation, they are still prepared to pay for the newly designed strip each season, helping to advertise the club and its sponsors.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

1. Market Definition

2. Market Size

3. Industry Background

4. Competitor Analysis

5. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

6. Buying Behaviour

7. Current Issues

8. The Global Market

9. Forecasts

10. Company Profiles