Spanish soccer giant FC Barcelona reported record revenue for
the 2015-16 season of €679 million or $750 million. Barcelona recently ranked fourth overall in
Forbes annual look at the world’s most valuable sports franchises at $3.64
billion. Only the Dallas Cowboys ($4.2 billion), New York Yankees ($3.7
billion) and Man United ($3.69 billion) are worth more. The tally puts the world’s third most valuable sports franchise at $3.55 billion on pace to meet its target revenue of
€1 billion by 2021.
Barcelona is set to begin a $650 million renovation of its
Camp Nou stadium next year. The project will modernize the stadium, expand
capacity to 105,000 seats and further generate revenue. In addition to the stadium renovation,
sponsorships are key to Barcelona’s future revenue growth. Marketing
represented the club’s biggest revenue stream at 37% in 2014-15. It is about to
soar thanks to a new kit deal with Nike NKE -0.17% inked this
year. The new deal is expected to bring in as much as $170 million a year. Barca is also up for a new jersey sponsorship
after its three-year deal with Qatar Airways expired. The two parties reached a
one-year extension for the 2016-17 season, but as many as a dozen other
companies are interested in buying one of the most valuable pieces of real
estate in sports.
Barcelona allocated 66% of its expenditures for “payment of
salaries to athletes.” No player cost more than the five-time player of the
year Lionel Messi, who earned more than $50 million in salary and bonuses
from Barça and ranked as the second highest-paid soccer
player in the world
behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi signed a three-year contract
extension to remain at Camp Nou through 2021.
The renovation project will modernize the stadium and expand
capacity to 105,000 seats. It is expected to cost in the neighborhood of $650
million. Barcelona’s $750 million in revenue includes
revenue from all FC Barcelona sporting divisions, including soccer, basketball,
handball and field hockey, but the soccer accounts for roughly 90% of the
overall business.
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