Istanbul / Ahmed Hassan / Anadolu

European football revenues exceeded €40 billion for the first time in the 2024-2025 season.

This is according to an annual report released Wednesday by Deloitte, the financial consultancy, on football finance for 2026.

The report stated that revenues for the sport in Europe reached €40.2 billion (about $45.8 billion) in the season ending mid-2025, compared to €38 billion in the previous season.

The top five leagues accounted for €21.6 billion, or 54% of the total market, including the English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French leagues.

According to the report, the expansion of tournaments under UEFA and FIFA contributed to an increase in the number of matches, prize money, and distributions to participating clubs.

This increase helped offset stagnation in broadcast revenues, but the report warned that adding more matches does not provide a sustainable model for growth.

Matchday revenues were the fastest-growing income source in major European leagues during the 2024-2025 season.

These revenues grew by 16%, reaching €3.4 billion, boosted by additional matches in UEFA competitions.

Combined, English Premier League clubs' matchday revenues exceeded €1.17 billion for the first time.

However, the report showed growing tension over ticket prices and premium hospitality services, and whether fans can afford to attend matches.

It stated that clubs need to strike a balance between increasing revenues and preserving the matchday experience, especially for regular fans.

Broadcast revenues in the five leagues rose to €9.6 billion, supported by the expansion of UEFA's club competitions, according to the report, which noted an uneven distribution of this increase among leagues.

Since the introduction of new UEFA competition formats, English Premier League clubs have participated in five out of six finals across various tournaments, winning four of them.

This has led to a concentration of financial gains among clubs from specific leagues.

The English Premier League maintained its top position as the highest revenue generator in Europe, with its clubs achieving €7.95 billion, an 8% increase from the previous season.

The report projected that Premier League clubs' revenues would exceed €8.2 billion in the 2025-2026 season, supported by new broadcast contracts and continued strong performance in European competitions.

Despite revenue growth, total pre-tax losses for Premier League clubs jumped from €158 million to €1.109 billion.

The report attributed this to higher player costs, transfer spending, and the absence of exceptional gains recorded in the previous season.

The net debt of clubs stood at €4.21 billion at the end of the 2024-2025 season, along with €2 billion in net payables to other clubs for player transfers.

In Spain, Real Madrid's revenues reached €1.2 billion and Barcelona's €975 million, accounting for approximately 52% of total La Liga club revenues.

German Bundesliga clubs recorded total revenue growth of 12%, exceeding €4 billion for the first time, driven by improved broadcast and commercial revenues.

Italian Serie A clubs' revenues rose 4% to €3 billion, with Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan accounting for 45% of that total.

In contrast, French Ligue 1 clubs' revenues declined by 15% to €2.2 billion, with commercial revenues dropping by €400 million.