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The football market is growing by the day. There is no doubt that it has become a big business now. The Deloitte Football Money League is popular for profiling the biggest clubs in the world and revealing their revenues.
The survey remains the most reliable source to identify a clubs' financial performance. There are three indicators which are taken to arrive at the gross revenue of the club.
These include - Broadcast Rights, Commercial sources (such as merchandises, sponsorship, and stadium tours), and finally Matchday revenue (generated from ticket sales and hospitality of corporates.)
Majority of the clubs minting the most money are expectantly from Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues. Besiktas, Zenit St Petersburg, and Benfica are the only three clubs outside the 'big five' leagues who have made it to the Top 30 in this edition of the Money League.
Another trend noticed in the Money League this year was the importance of qualifying for UEFA Club competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. A good performance in these or for that matter even qualification is beneficial in improving the position of the club.
Also See: Champions League News
The top 20 clubs cumulatively earned a record €8.3 billion - a bullish amount indeed.
In this article, we take a look at the Top 10 richest clubs of 2018. However, prior to that, here is the list of the clubs ranked 11-20 according to their earnings of 2017/18 season:
11. Juventus - €394.9m
12. Borussia Dortmund - €317.2m
13. Atlético de Madrid - €304.4m
14. FC Internazionale Milano - €280.8m
15. AS Roma - €250.0m
16. Schalke 04 - €243.8m
17. Everton - €212.9m
18. AC Milan - €207.7m
19. Newcastle United - €201.5m
20. West Ham United - €197.9m
Without further ado, here are the Top 10 richest clubs:
#10 Tottenham Hotspur - €428.3m
It is only the second time (after the 2006/07 edition) that Tottenham Hotspur has been able to make it to the top ten in Money League history. It is the club's best performance till date.
The Lilywhites replaced Italian giants Juventus to claim the 10th spot. They were placed at the 11th place last time around with their 2016/17 Revenue being 359.5 million euros.
The Lilywhites finished third on the Premier League table during the 2017-18 season. They won 23, drew 8, and lost 7 of their 38 matches to post 77 points on board.
Tottenham had a cumulative revenue of €428.3m for 2017/18 season. €116.5m (27%) of this was from commercial sources, €226.6m (53%) from broadcast rights, and €85.2m (20%) Matchday earnings.
A major increase was seen in the matchday revenue. Manchester United were the only club which achieved a higher aggregate league attendance than Spurs during the 2017/18 season. A sponsorship deal with Nike was another reason to bolster their commercial performance.
2017 Revenue - €359.5m
2018 Revenue - €428.3m
Technical kit supplier - Nike
Shirt front sponsor - AIA
Average league match attendance - 70,642
#9 Arsenal - €439.2m
Arsenal finished sixth in the Premier League during the 2017/18 season. They won 19, drew six, and lost 13 of their 38 matches and amassed 63 points.
The lackluster performance last season has affected their Money League performance. They have fallen from the 6th place finish last time to 9th this time around.
The revenue earned by The Gunners has also taken a hit. It was €487.6m for 2016/17 season but has dropped to €439.2m for the 2018/19 season. €206.9m (47%) came from Broadcast rights, €120.7m (28%) from Commercial sources, and €111.6m (25%) from Matchday earnings.
The ninth-place finish is also the lowest they have achieved since the 2004/05 edition. A major cause of the fall has been the lack of UEFA Champions League football -- which hit the broadcast revenue by £18.4m.
There is optimism ever since Unai Emery has been appointed as first team manager. Yet, it seems unlikely that The Gunners will be climbing in the next edition.
2017 Revenue - €487.6m
2018 Revenue - €439.2m
Technical kit supplier - Puma
Shirt front sponsor - Emirates
Average league match attendance - 59,323
#8 Chelsea - €505.7m
The Blues remain rooted in the eighth spot for the fourth consecutive year. Even though their revenue increased massively by €77.7m (from the €428m in 2017/18), it had no effect on their position.
€230.5m (46%) of the revenue was earned from Broadcast rights, €191.8m (38%) from Commercial sources, and €83.4m (16%) from Matchday earnings.
A return to the Champions League was a major reason for the bullish increase in revenue. The Blues also signed a new kit deal with Nike which bolstered their revenue further.
The team management agreed upon a major four-year shirt sleeve agreement with Hyundai as well.
The 2018/19 season is set to be a challenging year for Chelsea as they will not be playing Champions League football.
2017 Revenue - €428m
2018 Revenue - €505.7m
Technical kit supplier - Nike
Shirt front sponsor - Yokohama Tyres
Average league match attendance - 41,281
#7 Liverpool - €513.7m
The Reds rose two places -- from ninth last time to seventh in this edition of the Money League. Liverpool were extremely good on the field last season and showed a lot of promise.
Liverpool also made it to their first Champions League final in 11 years. The revenue increased from the €424.2m in 2017 to €513.7m in 2018 - an increase of €89.5m. This is also the biggest monetary increase by any club featuring in the top 10.
€251.3m (49%) of the earnings came from Broadcast rights, €170.8m (33%) from Commercial sources, and €91.6m (18%) from Matchday earnings.
With how things are going in the ongoing Premier League, Liverpool are set to climb further next year as they are the strongest title challengers.
The increase in revenue of Liverpool indicates how good on-field performance can positively impact the club in terms of the commercial aspect as well.
2017 Revenue - €424.2m
2018 Revenue - €513.7m
Technical kit supplier - New Balance
Shirt front sponsor - Standard Chartered
Average league match attendance - 52,958
#6 Paris Saint-Germain - €541.7m
PSG's revenue grew €55.5m (11%) - from the €486.2m in 2017 to €541.7m in 2018.
This has helped the French giants climb one place in the Money League. A first place Ligue 1 finish, as well as the signing of global superstars Mbappé and Neymar Jr, helped in the significant growth in commercial revenue.
Taking up a co-branding initiative with Air Jordan also impacted the growth. €313.3m (58%) of the revenue generated was from Commercial sources, €127.8m (24%) from Broadcast rights, and €100.6m (18%) matchday earnings.
The club is expected to maintain a secure place in the Top 10 in the next edition as well as they are well en route to their sixth league title in seven years.
2017 Revenue - €486.2m
2018 Revenue - €541.7m
Technical kit supplier - Nike
Shirt front sponsor - Emirates
Average league match attendance - 46,929
#5 Manchester City - €568.4m
The Sky Blues retained the fifth position in the Money League. It is the for the third consecutive year that they have been No. 5.
Besides winning the Premier League by the biggest ever margin, City also made it to the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Nexen Tire (new shirt sleeve sponsor), and partnerships with Gatorade and Amazon also paved the way for greater commercial success.
Although the revenue grew, the increase of €41.4m from last time is the lowest by any club in the top 10. It implies that The Sky Blues still have a lot of potential to grow.
€265.7m (47%) of revenue came from Commercial sources, €238.8m (42%) came from Broadcast rights, while just €63.9m (11%) came from Matchday earnings.
2017 Revenue - €527.7m
2018 Revenue - €568.4m
Technical kit supplier - Nike
Shirt front sponsor - Etihad Airways
Average league match attendance - 54,054
#4 Bayern Munich - €629.2m
For the third time running, Bayern Munich remains on the fourth position in the Money League. The German giants also became only the fourth club ever to surpass the €600m mark in commercial revenue.
There was an increase in revenue of €41.4m in 2018 as they reached €629.2m from the €587.8m last time around.
Bayern reached the semifinals for the UEFA Champions League in the 2017/18 season apart from becoming the Bundesliga Champions.
They are the most dominant revenue earners in German football -- earning almost double rival club Borussia Dortmund.
Besides lucrative commercial deals, the club has put in strong performances on the pitch which has helped them lift six Bundesliga titles consecutively since 2012/13.
€348.7m (55%) of the Bayern's revenue in 2018 came from Commercial sources, €176.7m (28%) from Broadcast rights, and €103.8m (17%) from Matchday earnings.
2017 Revenue - €587.8m
2018 Revenue - €629.2m
Technical kit supplier - Adidas
Shirt front sponsor - Deutsche Telekom
Average league match attendance - 75,354
#3 Manchester United - €666m
After holding the pole position in the Money League for two years consecutively, Manchester United slipped to the third position this time around. The Red Devils could not hold on to the first position despite a second place finish in the Premier League.
Long term deals with Chevrolet and Adidas as well as the first shirt sleeve sponsorship deal with Kohler helped United earn some commercial revenue.
€316.1m (47%) of the revenue earned by The Red Devils was from Commercial sources, €230.4m (35%) from Broadcast rights, and €119.5m (18%) from Matchday earnings.
Although Manchester United did not have the best of Premier League starts this season under Jose, they are looking like a transformed side under caretaker Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
2017 Revenue - €676.3m
2018 Revenue - €666m'
Technical kit supplier - Adidas
Shirt front sponsor - Chevrolet
Average league match attendance - 75,102
#2 FC Barcelona - €690.4m
Healthy growth of €42.1m in revenue from last year helped Barca climb one place in the Money League. The revenue in 2017 stood at €648.3m while it has grown to €690.4m this time around.
€322.6m (47%) of this amount was from Commercial sources, €223m (32%) was from Broadcast rights, and finally €144.8m (21%) from Matchday earnings.
A four-year deal with Rakuten, a Japanese e-commerce company, helped increase the commercial revenue to a great extent. The technical kit deal with Nike has also been restructured and is expected to reflect positively in the earnings of the ongoing season.
Barcelona lifted the La Liga trophy for the 2017/18 edition -- making it their 3rd title in 4 years. They are going strong in the current edition of La Liga as well.
2017 Revenue - €648.3m
2018 Revenue - €690.4m
Technical kit supplier - Nike
Shirt front sponsor - Rakuten
Average league match attendance - 70,872
#1 Real Madrid - €750.9m
It is for a record 12th time that Real Madrid topped the charts in the Money League. It is also the first time that a club has surpassed the €750 million mark in revenue.
The Los Blancos failed to bag the top spot in the previous two Money League editions but are now back at the pole position.
The revenue increased from the €674.6m in 2017 to €750.9m for 2018 - a massive jump of €76.3m.
€356.2m (47%) of the amount earned came from Commercial sources, €251.3m (34%) from Broadcast rights, and €143.4m (19%) from Matchday earnings.
A major gain in revenue can be credited to their third successive UEFA Champions League triumph. Real Madrid has become a global brand themselves.
There is a huge gap of €60.5m in the earnings between them and arch-rivals Barcelona. Only time will tell if they are able to retain the top spot in the next edition.
2017 Revenue - €674.6m
2018 Revenue - €750.9m
Technical kit supplier - Adidas
Shirt front sponsor - Emirates
Average league match attendance - 66,337
