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The Premier League has revived plans to play matches overseas. When the idea of a ’39th game’ was mooted six years ago, it encountered considerable resistance. The acceptance of NFL and NBA games being played in London has helped to bring the idea back to the table.
Inter Milan has had a difficult patch since winning the Champions League in 2010. It has finished no higher than fifth in Serie A in the past three years and has fallen to 15th in the latest Football Money League from Deloitte.
Indonesian tycoon Erick Thohir now owns 70 per cent of the club (with business partner Handy Soetedjo) and is aiming to make it one of the top ten revenue earning clubs again and a contender in the Champions League.
The Premier League is becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility of damage to its brand from the activities of betting companies, in particular the growth of in-play betting which it fears may give rise to corruption. Betting operators throw substantial resources at marketing and tv advertising during live games.
The effects of poor performance (by their standards) on the pitch are being felt by Manchester United. Revenue and profits are expected to fall in 2015 in the absence of Champions League income. Even so, the club’s revenues and earnings are still far in excess of Premier League rivals.
Sports Direct have produced an interesting set of graphics which show just how big the variation is in the value of Premier League kit sponsorships (although five clubs have managed to keep the details quiet). They also provide information on European and international kit deals.
It’s not so easy to find someone to sponsor a league, especially in the non-league system. The returns are more diffuse than sponsoring a club. Local businesses are often willing to support a non-league club. One of their directors may also serve on the club board or their employees may play for the club.
We have long argued that financial fair play could have unintended and perverse consequences. This view is supported by the latest authoritative annual survey of football by accountancy firm BDO. The survey found that few clubs thought the rules were having the desired effect.
The Football Conference have announced Vanarama as title sponsor for the 2014/15 season. The partnership was launched today in the presence of member clubs and will see the commercial vehicle specialists take the naming rights for all 1,476 games a season across the three divisions in 2014/15.
Shirt sponsorship deals in the Premier League have increased to a record £191m in 2014-15. For example, Hull City recently concluded a deal with 12BETuk which is worth a seven figure sum and is the largest in the club’s history.
However, only six clubs have deals worth more than £10m and the other fourteen clubs have raised a combined sum that is less than that of Manchester United. Placed in the context of overall Premier Legaue revenues, the global sum is a relatively small one, although still a valuable source of revenue.
New Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has suggested that ‘Maybe it is too big a club – not only in a sporting sense, but also commercially. We have to do a lot of things that, normally, I don’t allow.’