Real Madrid break billion-euro revenue barrier to top Money League

LONDON: Real Madrid are the first football club to top a billion euros in revenue during a single season, fuelled by income generated by the revamped Santiago Bernabeu stadium, according to financial experts Deloitte.

The order of the clubs at the top of Deloitte´s annual Football Money League stayed the same, with Madrid (1.05 billion euros, $1.09 billion) followed by Premier League champions Manchester City (838 million euros) and Paris Saint-Germain (806 million euros).

The 208-million-euro gap between first and second is the biggest Deloitte have ever recorded. The dramatic refurbishment of the home of Real Madrid doubled matchday revenues to 248 million euros in the 2023/24 campaign.

Madrid have taken out loans totalling more than a billion euros since 2018 to renovate the Bernabeu, with the aim of turning it into a major source of revenue. The state-of-the-art venue now boasts an undulating metal roof, shops, expanded VIP areas and a retractable pitch.

Pop megastar Taylor Swift is among the big names who have performed at the stadium since it reopened, while the NFL´s first game in Spain will take place there later this year. However, Madrid´s aim of using the Bernabeu, which has a capacity of about 80,000, to generate extra cash has been hit by complaints over noise pollution from residents, with the club temporarily suspending the hosting of concerts.

“Club stadia are increasingly being valued as more than just matchday assets, with a number of clubs converting their grounds into multi-use entertainment venues that attract new visitors, sponsors, and retail opportunities.” said Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.

“Football clubs are now realising the value of becoming far more than sporting brands, with media and entertainment becoming intertwined with the commercial potential that they have to offer.”