Soccer is one of the most popular sports on the planet and makes up a significant part of the global sports industry as a whole, according to AT Kearney.
From Manchester United‘s perspective, the interest of fans around the world has enabled the commercialization of soccer activities through sponsorship, retail, merchandising, apparel and product licensing, broadcasting and match days.
Above all, the growth and increasing popularity of soccer is due to consumer demand and interest in live sports, whether in person or through television and digital media.
Manchester United believes that the growth in revenue from the sport has been driven by the appetite of consumers, advertisers and media distributors to access and partner with these live sporting events, particularly those starring globally recognized teams.
The major soccer leagues and clubs in England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France have established themselves as the world’s leading entities thanks to their history and highly developed television and advertising markets, according to AT Kearney.
The combination of historical success and media development in the major European markets has helped drive revenues, which in turn allows these leagues to attract the world’s best players, further strengthening their appeal to fans.
Overall, the sports industry constitutes a very broad business, ranging from the sale of food and sports souvenirs to the sale of broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals.
Sports industry
As television and digital media, such as broadband Internet and mobile, expand their reach globally, the availability of and access to live matches and other content from major European leagues has increased and live matches are now viewed worldwide.
In addition, advances in new technologies continue to improve both the user experience of television and digital media and the effectiveness of sponsorship and advertising on these platforms.
Manchester United concludes that these trends further reinforce the commercial benefit of partnering with soccer for media distributors and advertisers and increase global opportunities for the sport.
Among the world’s top leagues are: the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
