Moneyball: The World’s ‘Richest’ Football Clubs

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Source: Statista

Over the past two decades, professional football has seen an unprecedented influx of money, reshaping the landscape of the sport on a global scale. The surge in financial means and change in the balance of power between clubs and leagues can be attributed to several key factors, notably the rapid growth of broadcasting deals and the emergence of billionaire owners and what are effectively state-sponsored clubs.

The English Premier League in particular has seen a staggering increase in broadcasting rights fees over the past two decades, with the amount paid for the league’s global media rights roughly quadrupling from $3.16 billion for the 2007-2010 period to $12.85 billion for the 2022-2025 period. This influx of broadcasting revenue has provided clubs with previously unimaginable financial resources, allowing them to invest heavily in player transfers, wages and state-of-the-art facilities.

In addition to broadcasting deals, the rise of billionaire owners has played a pivotal role in reshaping football’s financial landscape. Wealthy individuals from various industries have seized the opportunity to acquire football clubs, viewing them as lucrative investments with vast potential for growth.

Furthermore, the emergence of de-facto state-sponsored clubs has further intensified the financial arms race in football. Clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, majority-owned by government-backed investment funds from Abu Dhabi and Qatar, respectively, have transformed into financial powerhouses capable of outspending their competitors on transfer fees and wages. It has enabled them to assemble star-studded squads and compete at the highest levels of domestic and European competition, with Manchester City’s 2023 treble the latest testament to their financial and sporting superiority.

While the large influx of money has undoubtedly brought excitement and spectacle to the world of football, it has also raised concerns about financial fair play and the growing disparity between rich and poor clubs and leagues. Our latest Racing Bars video shows not only how revenue has increased for the world’s “richest” football clubs, but also tells the story of how the balance of financial power has shifted between leagues and clubs during the past two and a half decades.

Back-to-Back Wins Bump Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl Top 3

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Source: Statista

The Kansas City Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in a row at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., Sunday, catapulting them into the top three of NFL teams with the most wins in the competition. At four wins, they now have as many to their name as the New York Giants and the Green Day Packers. At six tries, the Chiefs boast a better participations-to-wins ratio than some other teams with an equal number or more wins, including the San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots.

There are still four teams – the Cleveland Browns, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans – which have never played the Super Bowl, and 12 which have never won the game. Jacksonville and Houston only joined the competition in 1995 and 2002, respectively.

The below chart lists the home city of teams by where they won most Super Bowls. Three teams celebrated wins with different names: The Los Angeles Raiders last won the Super Bowl in 1984, but they were also victorious in 1981 and 1977 as the Oakland Raiders. The team returned to the Oakland Raiders name in 1995 and has been called the Las Vegas Raiders since the 2020 season. The Indianapolis Colts won in 2007 under their current name and in 1971 under their old name, the Baltimore Colts. The Los Angeles Rams won in 2022 and in the year 2000 during an intermezzo as the St. Louis Rams.

Infographic: Back-to-Back Wins Bump Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl Top 3 | Statista