Manchester United smash Real Madrid to take Football Money League top spot

Manchester United have been named the biggest revenue-generating club in the world, according to a new report from professional services giant Deloitte.

In the firm’s latest Football Money League, United broke Real Madrid’s 11-year hold on the number one spot with a revenue of £515.3m in 2015/16, the highest ever reported by a football club.

While MUFC’s matchday and broadcast revenues were given a boost by their return to the UEFA Champions League, it was chiefly commercial revenue growth of £71m that helped push United to the top position.

It was found that the North West’s four Premier League teams – United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton – generated a combined revenue of £1.3bn last season.

Three of the clubs are among the world’s top 20 revenue-generating, with City in 5th place and Liverpool 9th.

Everton dropped out of the top 20 in this year’s Money League, after revenues dipped by 3% to £121.5m in comparison to 2014/15.

Dan Jones, partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “Manchester United have had to wait 11 years to regain their position as the world’s leading revenue generating club and it has taken phenomenal commercial revenue growth to help them achieve this.

“However, they’ll face strong competition from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid to retain the top spot in next year’s edition, due to the lack of Champions League football, the weakening of the Pound against the Euro and, over the longer term, as other clubs enter the commercial market demanding similar deals, using United as the precedent.”

Tim Bridge, Sports Business Group senior manager, commented: “Despite Everton falling out of the top 20, given the record Premier League domestic broadcast deal coming into effect during the 2016/17 season, it is likely that they will climb back into the top 20 in the 2018 edition of the Money League, and we may see further revenue growth by North West clubs.”