The popularity of soccer can’t be denied in this day and age. Soccer has been called the worlds game by many. The last few world cup games have been such money generators that have brought in massive profits for the host city that some cities now would rather host the world cup because they can successfully execute a profit instead of the Olympic games which now cost the host cities several billion dollars in revenue that isn’t being recouped over the long term because the cost to build facilities are too expensive.
Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Arsenal are listed as number 1, 6, 7 respectfully of all sports franchises in net worth. These three franchises demonstrate the economic potential of soccer and that the global game will continue to be for a long time.
Manchester United is based in England has a total of 19 league titles and 11 FA Cups are owned by the Glazer family who also owns the American Football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are not only the model of all soccer franchises this team whose nickname is the Red devils is the new gold standard for all sport franchises. Manchester United is worth 1.85 billion dollars surpassing even famous North American sport franchises like the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees who surprisingly are worth a few hundred million less than Manchester United.
Manchester United has landed substantial sponsorship deals with Mega corporations Nike, Aon and Audi that has helped generate millions of dollars for the team. Manchester United also receives the largest share of the television revenue because of their popularity and success which is attributed to them winning games and titles.
Real Madrid based out of Spain currently has a total of 31 La Liga Titles and 9 European Cup Championship trophies. Real Madrid is worth 1.35 billion dollars and has recently remodeled its stadium Santiago Bernabeu. The Franchise decided to cut a considerable portion of their seating by making the number of seats and total attendance less prominent and decided to concentrate on charging a higher ticket price for each seat.
With the success of the franchise winning a multitude of titles and by far being the most popular team in Spain, Real Madrid has no trouble finding fans to pay the higher ticket prices. Real Madrid also has significant sponsorship deals with Adidas and Bwin.com that bring in millions of dollars to this beloved soccer team in Spain.
Arsenal is located in North London, England. Arsenal is part of the Premier League like their counterpart Manchester United and has a net worth of 1.2 Billion dollars. Arsenal is owned by Arsenal Holdings Inc and has a tremendous sponsorship deal with Emirate Airlines whose logo can be seen not only on their stadium but also on the uniforms of the team.
The sponsorship deal was worth 145 million over an 8 year period. Arsenal majority share holder is Stan Kronke who owns and an American Football team just like the Glazer family Kronke’s team being the St. Louis Rams.
The success of these 3 Soccer teams generating millions of dollars has gotten the attention of owners of other successful sports franchises like the NFL showing that Soccer is a dynamic force when it comes to generating revenue, ratings, and sponsorship dollars on the global scale.