The Political Economy of Football V2

The latest Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance is now available and is well worth reading:  https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-zone2/uk/en/docs/services/consulting/2026/deloitte-annual-review-of-football-finance-2026.pdf It sounds a cautionary note about the state of the game and the growing gap between fans and wealthy owners, but then we live in a world in which billionaires are increasingly calling the shots in culture, sports and politics. The report states: 'The 2024/25 season was one of transformation and expansion, with both UEFA and FIFA launching refreshed competitions for their flagship men’s club competitions. These saw more clubs compete for larger prize pots, with distributions to those participating bolstering otherwise plateauing broadcast revenues. These changes underpinned a 6% strengthening of the European football market, which surpassed €40 billion for the first time in 2024/25. The ‘big five’ leagues’ relative contribution to this total remain...

The European Clubs Association has produced a comprehensive report on modern football fans and how they 'consume' the game based on 14,000 responses:  https://www.soccerex.com/insight/articles/2020/the-changing-face-of-football-fandom-highlighted-by-eca-report Fans are classified into six groups based on their characteristics ranging from the small minority of football fanatics to the 27 per cent of 'followers'.  The report highlights how younger fans are markedly different consumers compared to their older peers. They watch football differently, often follow more than one club, are attracted by a club’s playing style and expect clubs to reflect their own values – as well as being less likely to be fans at all.