Champions League Winners To Pocket £85m
The winners of tonight’s first ever all-English UEFA Champions League Final – either Chelsea or Manchester United – will take home more than £85m, according to an economic study commissioned by MasterCard, UEFA’s longest running sponsor of the competition.
The two teams, who go head-to-head at the Luzhniki Stadium, stand to profit from positive economic impacts such as increased squad value, prize money, sponsorship deals, television rights and growth in season ticket sales, with even the loser pocketing more than a cool £30m from the game.
The MasterCard study – conducted by Professor Simon Chadwick, Director of Coventry University’s Centre of the International Business of Sport – noted that in getting to the Final, the two English Premier League sides each may have already earned more than £30m, meaning a winning UEFA Champions League campaign will be worth in excess of £115m.
The figures compare favourably to the economic impact of the 2007 Final in Athens, where MasterCard research at the heart of European football commerce found that AC Milan or Liverpool FC stood to earn up to £67m from winning, which the Italian side achieved with a 2-1 victory.
The study also suggests that the clubs will not be the only beneficiaries, with Moscow set to receive an economic boost to the tune of more than £35m, compared to the £18m Athens were believed to have enjoyed from the 2007 Final.
The MasterCard study also found that the home city of the winning team stands to benefit to the tune of more than £10m.
This windfall is expected to be felt through positive economic impacts such as enhanced city image and reputation, leading to increased tourism, and a boost to consumer confidence, resulting in increased spending after the city’s bars, pubs, shops and bookmakers have enjoyed a short term financial boost around the Final itself.
It is expected that well in excess of 42,000 English fans will travel to Russia and more than 20m people will watch the game at home in Britain on television, with around 100m tuning in around the world.
