Online Reporter
MADRID. — Spain’s top football league posted record commercial revenue in 2023-24, while recurring revenue surpassed five billion euros for the first time since the pandemic, though still falling shy of pre-COVID heights.
LaLiga’s 5,049 billion euros from its four traditional recurring revenue pillars (matchday, commercial, broadcasting and UEFA prize money) represents a 3,2 percent increase over the previous season, riding a wave of fan enthusiasm that saw a record 16 million spectators fill stadiums at an average 75,4 percent capacity.
The impressive attendance figures helped drive matchday revenue up 4.8%, while commercial income climbed 7.4 percent to exceed one billion euros for the second consecutive year.
“After the pandemic we said it would take four or five years to recover the COVID losses, and that has been the case,” LaLiga president Javier Tebas told reporters.
While recurring revenue was up, total revenue dipped 10 percent to 5,125 billion euros compared to last season’s inflated 5,69 billion, which included half of the 1.99 billion euros from LaLiga’s deal with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.
“Taking away the effects of last-year’s levers, which distorted the total numbers, you can see that we are a sustainable league,” Tebas said.
LaLiga projects attendance will surge to over 18 million fans next season and the league will finally break the pre-pandemic recurring revenue record of 5.065 billion euros set in 2019-20.
Tebas also announced changes to LaLiga’s strict Financial Fair Play rules, introducing a minimum wage cap of 30 percent of a club’s turnover, a move aimed at preventing financially troubled clubs like Sevilla and Barcelona from entering seasons with lower wage caps that have hampered their ability to register and sign new players.
Barcelona and LaLiga have fought a fierce battle off the pitch in recent months regarding the registration of players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, which ended with Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) allowing the duo to play for the club until the end of the season. — Reuters.
Mathew Masinge