- Income from broadcast rights and prize money – the biggest source of revenue – drops 28% to US$320m, according to EY report
- Flamengo’s revenue accounts for 14% of overall total for 23 clubs featured in study
- Total revenue for teams between 2011 and 2020 grew 152%
Brazil’s top soccer clubs saw their combined revenue for 2020 fall 14 per cent to year-on-year (YoY) to R$5.3 billion (US$998 million), according to a study from professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY).
The report, which analysed 23 clubs across Brazil, also revealed that combined net debt for 2020 stood at R$10.3 billion (US$1.9 billion), up 19 per cent compared to 2019.
Total recurring revenue, which excludes players transfers, fell to R$3.3 billion (US$621 million) in 2020, a YoY decline of 27 per cent.
Despite this, EY found that total revenue for the 23 clubs between 2011 and 2020 has still grown by 152 per cent.
When breaking down income for 2020, the study shows that R$677 million (US$127 million), equivalent to 13 per cent, came from commercial revenue, a YoY drop of six per cent.
Collective earnings from broadcast rights and prize money were the largest source of revenue for the year at 32 per cent, although the figure was down 28 per cent YoY to R$1.7 billion (US$320 million).
Matchday revenue, which was significantly impacted by Covid-19, fell 46 per cent to R$523 million (US$98.5 million).
Of the 23 clubs, the revenue generated by Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, Corinthians, Palmeiras and Gremio accounted for 56 per cent of the overall total. Top-flight champions Flamengo’s revenue alone made up 14 per cent of the total amount.
