StreamAMG appoint new directors

StreamAMG has made two senior hires from the world of professional sport. Alex Hunte has joined as Product Director and Jonathan Rigby is now Director of Commercial Strategy. Both join at a time of rapid growth and development of the StreamAMG brand as a leading provider of sports OTT solutions.

Hunte joins the business after spending more than three years at Tottenham Hotspur where he was Head of Digital Products, having previously led broadcast productions at UEFA for various events including UEFA Euro 2008 and the UEFA Europa League.

Rigby is an experienced international CMO and commercial director for some of the biggest brands in world sport, including Manchester United, BBC, British Cycling and most recently the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

CEO of StreamAMG Hugo Sharman said: “We are delighted to welcome Alex and Jonathan to StreamAMG.  They are bringing extra depth and leadership to an already strong management team, and I’m incredibly excited to work with them.  The business is in great shape, and they will be key to our next phase of growth.” 

StreamAMG’s revenue has doubled, and its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) has increased fourfold since PA Media Group acquired it in 2017 and has kicked off 2022 in rude health.

This year StreamAMG has welcomed new clients into the fold, including ATP Media and its flagship OTT service Tennis TV, Serie A football club Inter with Inter TV and many others. It also launched successful streaming services, including Premiership Rugby’s new PRTV Live platform, which enabled thousands of rugby fans to see more live action every week. StreamAMG also delivered record pre-season audience numbers for many English Premier League and EFL clubs.

StreamAMG now delivers over 20,000 live events across sports and betting/gaming clients every year, including over 3,500 in tennis alone for both the men’s and women’s professional games. The company has also increasingly diversified into numerous other sports – including golf, basketball and more – to become a major player in the direct-to-consumer sports market.

Meanwhile, StreamAMG has continued to invest heavily in its products and services, most notably its in-app purchase feature in CloudPay (user authentication and digital payments) and new innovative cloud services with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Thus reinforcing StreamAMG’s status as one of the few service providers able to offer platform development, end-to-end delivery, distribution and payment services at scale using proprietary technology.

With the aim of directing the future development of the company’s advanced suite of streaming products, Hunte said: “StreamAMG has a fantastic reputation in the marketplace. I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue innovating and delivering solutions across our stellar portfolio of customers. More and more rights-holders are benefiting from the ability to take their content directly to their customers – we are committed to remaining at the forefront as the OTT market continues expanding worldwide.”

Warner Bros coverage of US Open to feature multiple Grand Slam Champions

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBDS) cast of tennis experts will be joined by a four-time Grand Slam champion for its coverage of this year’s US Open when Kim Clijsters joins its team in New York.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee will be joined by Barbara Schett, who will anchor WBDS’ coverage of the tournament from Flushing Meadows while tennis icons Mats Wilander, Alex Corretja and John McEnroe will also be on-site to offer their own inimitable unrivalled expertise for millions of tennis fans watching the action from across Europe*. 

Justine Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam winner – including two US Open titles in 2003 and 2007 – will be part of Eurosport’s coverage in France while 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci will work for WBDS in Italy throughout the tournament. Mischa Zverev – brother of current world number two – will contribute to WBDS’ coverage internationally and in Germany with Jonas Bjorkman, a US Open semi-finallist in 1997, will be part of WBDS’s presentation in Sweden.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, which first screened the US Open under the Eurosport brand in 1989, will show 250 hours of live coverage with every match and every point available live and on-demand via discovery+**, Eurosport and Eurosport App across Europe.* WBDS will harness the full-breadth of its network, with live coverage of the men’s and women’s semi-finals and finals on its free-to-air channels in Denmark (via 6’eren), Sweden (via Kanal 9) , Norway (via Max) and Finland (via TV5).

Live action from the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year will be complemented by comprehensive coverage of the tournament on WBDS’ digital platforms. Eurosport.com will offer the latest news, expert reaction and live blogs from Flushing Meadows ensuring every angle is covered during the fortnight of compelling drama which is likely to mark the end of the legendary Serena Williams’ career with world number one Daniil Medvedev and teenage sensation Emma Raducanu seeking to defend the singles titles they memorably won 12 months ago.

A new edition of Ruud Talk will give fans an insight into the mindset of 2022 Roland-Garros finalist Casper Ruud while new episodes of Players’ Voice – a first column penned by the world’s greatest players – will feature Daniil Medvedev. Kim Clijsters will also look back on some of her career highlights and preview the forthcoming US Open in a brand-new episode of Legends’ Voice.

A new format launched for the US Open will educate viewers on the sights and sounds of one of the most diverse cities in the world through the eyes of iconic Warner Bros. productions while players will have the chance to showcase a different side to their personalities in A Grand (Slam) Appetite, revealing their food favourites and unusual culinary habits.

Scott Young, SVP Content and Production at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “The US Open is one of the highlights on the calendar where sports meets entertainment in one of the most incredible cities in the world. Our aim is to transmit that spectacle to the fans back in Europe, capturing not only the on-court action but the stories off-the-court too.

“Twelve months on from one of the most memorable Grand Slam tournaments in living memory, our diverse panel of experts in New York, along with a host of entertaining and informative short and long formats, will capture the unique atmosphere that is the US Open for viewers watching live and on-demand through Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ platforms.” 

The on-air campaign to promote Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage of the US Open boasts a retro feel based on neon lighting highlighting the atmosphere that encapsulates New York and the tournament itself. 

Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports announced that four times as many people streamed the first week of Roland-Garros on discovery+ versus 2021 while live coverage of the Australian Open and Roland-Garros contributed to television audiences increasing 10% year-on-year for the first half of 2022.

Liverpool FC and Nivea Men extend partnership until 2023

Liverpool FC and NIVEA MEN have extended their long-standing partnership for a further three years.

NIVEA MEN has partnered with LFC since 2015, and the 2022-23 season will mark an eight-year association with the Reds. The extended partnership will see NIVEA MEN remain the club’s official men’s grooming supplier until the end of the 2025-26 season.

NIVEA MEN will continue to bring their partnership to life through delivering best-in-class content that not only resonates with the LFC fanbase, but across the wider sports audience. Alongside product-led TV adverts, this includes the heartfelt and engaging content series Dear Liverpool FC…, which highlights the importance of reaching out and caring for others by providing Reds supporters the opportunity to nominate someone who they feel deserves a surprise and to be in with a chance of winning a personalised, memorable experience.

The content series has been incredibly successful with 28 million views and 2.3 million meaningful engagements achieved, becoming parent company Beiersdorf’s most-watched video content of all time, demonstrating great strength and alignment in the partnership.

The content series will be continuing into the 2022-23 season and will see the addition of NIVEA MEN ticket competitions where fans can enter by nominating someone for the next instalment of Dear Liverpool FC….

Commenting on the renewal of the partnership, Ben Latty, commercial director at Liverpool FC, said: “We’re extremely proud to extend our partnership with NIVEA MEN for a further three years. The renowned skincare brand has a purpose-led approach to its marketing, and we have shared core values, making this partnership the ideal fit for the LFC family.

“Since 2015 we have enjoyed great success in delivering impactful and meaningful campaigns and we look forward to developing and strengthening our relationship further over the coming years.”

Andy Rawle, marketing director Northern Europe, NIVEA MEN, said: “At Beiersdorf, we believe in building long-term partnerships around an aligned ethos and shared values. Our commitment to extending the NIVEA MEN partnership with Liverpool FC demonstrates this.

“We’re proud to bring two of the most successful organisations in their fields together to create engaging and memorable content to help more men take care of their wellbeing and their skin.”

Juventus FC renews sleeve partnership with Bitget

Juventus FC has renewed partnership with its first ever sleeve partner Bitget.

The presence of Bitget will remain on the left sleeve of the Juventus shirt.

Giorgio Ricci, Juventus Chief Revenue Officer, commented: “Our partnership with Bitget was undoubtedly a success. Bitget confirms its commitment to be next to the team, right on the left sleeve, close to the hearts of the players and fans. We are excited for this collaboration that continues, together with an innovative partner, who will accompany us once again game after game.”

Bitget’s Managing Director, Gracy Chen said: “We are honored to be Juventus Official Sleeve Partner for the second season. Last year’s path was beautiful and rewarding, and allowed Bitget to enter the world of sport. We greatly appreciate Juventus’ reputation and great popularity and we are convinced that these qualities will continue to help Bitget reach ever larger audiences, to share our vision in the world.”

FIFA’s Arsène Wenger: “The football ecosystem in Africa needs to strengthen financially”

The African Football Business Show hosted by founder Brian Wesaala had Arsene Wenger, chief of global development of football, FIFA come over as a guest. Excerpts of the conversation:

On changing perception of African football and footballers

“I am French and France has always had a link with African football. Even when I was a kid, I played with African players. I was always impressed by their passion. They loved to play the game. I was also impressed by their creativity and overall they had imagination. I like offensive play and I was attracted to that. I have always had a great connection with them.”

His approach to Youth Development

“One of the beauties of my job is that you can influence life. You can influence bigger if you can transform players and help them develop their talent. African people had less chances earlier. I brought in George Weah when he was 23 and apart from talent, he had a huge desire to become a footballer and he worked hard for it. When you can help them to develop, it is a feeling of great satisfaction. I am responsible for a program now that is mainly targeting giving a chance to people.”

What does he think the continent should do as the system benefits hugely from the exported talents but the country and player not so much?

The first move from Africa to Europe is around 3,00,000 Euros on average and the second move from Europe to Europe is ten times more. To tackle this, we first need to create stronger clubs in Africa so that they don’t give in just because they don’t have the resources to say no. Also, create a stronger league in Africa. We talk about a Super League with strong clubs to keep their own players long. Strengthening the whole continent financially is the biggest target. Secondly, create better rules so that the clubs get compensation for the second move. Fifa is thinking about giving training compensation

FIFA’s plan to regulate private football academies in Africa

We analyzed football in 205 countries and what came out is the correlation between the quality of education and ranking of the best countries in football. The top 20 countries in football have the best grassroots development program, best identification of talent and the best coaching. So that means we have a clear task infront of us and I call this program ‘Every talent a chance’. Unfortunately, today where you are born has a big influence on the capacity to develop your football skills.   We have developed a program in FIFA and we will move inside every country. And we have two targets – first, we will support financially every federation. We want to create an excellence centre in every country. Africa is a huge target for us currently.  Secondly, federations are responsible for education and not private entities.

FA brings in Nike as official ball supplier for women’s competitions

The Football Association (FA) has signed a multi-year partnership with Nike to become official ball supplier of the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL), Barclays Women’s Championship (BWC) and the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup from the 2022-23 season. 

The agreement will see Nike’s Flight ball technology being introduced for the first time when the new season kicks-off in the Barclays Women’s Championship this weekend (August 20-21), and the Barclays Women’s Super League on September 10-11. Each competition will have its own branded ball, while the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup will have a competition branded ball for the Final in March.

Breakthrough Aerowsculpt technology uses features on the surface of the ball to help air move around it more easily. That means less wobble in the air and a more stable, predictable flight path.

We have a longstanding relationship with Nike that stretches back to 2013, and this new partnership highlights a big step forward for the women’s professional game, associating itself with a brand that looks to invest in women on and off the field.

Our partnership with Nike will allow for continued investment into the women’s game, from grassroots level right through to the professional game, as we looks to further develop the sport following England’s magnificent triumph at this summer’s UEFA Women’s EURO.

Navin Singh, FA Commercial Director, said: “I’m delighted that we are able to expand our relationship with Nike and have one of the most recognised sports brands in the world partnered with the Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays Women’s Championship and the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup.

“Nike continuously push the boundaries when it comes to investment in women and giving them the opportunity to succeed, which is exactly what we strive to do in the women’s game. This is a really positive step for both parties, and I look forward to us working with Nike going forward.”

Whitney Malkiel, vice president, global women’s, Nike, said: “The energy in women’s football in England right now has never been higher as we enter into this partnership with the FA at such a critical moment in our long-standing efforts to help keep growing the women’s game.” 

Leeds United FC leverages Allied Telesis network to improve customer experience

Leeds United Football Club (LUFC) is improving the customer experience for fans and visitors by using the turnstiles at its Elland Road Stadium in Leeds as part of an upgrade to its existing Allied Telesis high capacity resilient network core.

The working of the turnstiles, along with all other aspects of the club’s business, depend on reliable connectivity with the help of a high-capacity Allied Telesis network that has been in steady operation with no downtime for a decade and a half. Designed, installed, maintained, and supported by NETprotocol, a platinum-level Allied Telesis partner, the network covers the club’s Elland Road Stadium in Leeds and its training grounds 20 kilometres away in Thorp Arch, Wetherby.

“Our mission critical network operates every facet of our business – from back-office to security operations located around the ground,” says Mark Broadley, Head of IT and Facilities for LUFC. “We put our trust in NETprotocol’s expertise and Allied Telesis all those years ago when they assured us that the network would be highly reliable. The network has run continuously since then and that is valuable to us.” 

Leeds United FC’s Elland Road Stadium has capacity for 38,000 seated fans and is England’s 14th largest football ground. From a network perspective, LUFC is challenging as it needed around the clock no fail network operations for all its internal businesses within the stadium grounds including back-office administration, call centre, hospitality and executive suites, ticketing, merchandise shop, press box, television studio and a CCTV security system that operates several hundred surveillance cameras throughout the whole stadium complex.

“There are so many moving parts to the network in this dynamic stadium environment. We have to meet so many different objectives under one roof, and we have to know that everything works just the way we need it to, without fail. Having confidence in all that makes my job so much easier,” says Mark Broadley.

With nearly 200 cameras around the stadium, the CCTV is a key part of the infrastructure, designed to protect the 40,000+ fans and workers in the stadium on game days. As a failure of the CCTV system would trigger cancelation of a match, NETprotocol installed a dedicated network layer using an Allied Telesis switch that supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) to each camera around the campus, further ensuring continuous operation of the security system.

Leeds United’s network continues to be critical as more modern systems are onboarded and more services become digitalised. The team’s promotion to the Premier League prompted many upgrades in services and networking to support match day requirements for press, traveling teams, security and more.

“We recently increased the network bandwidth by putting more fibre into the network to support additional communications lines, such as for streaming games and interviews out over LUFC-TV,” says Broadley. “We replaced the network cores with even higher capacity connections, upgraded to the latest AlliedWare Plus operating system, and put a new management layer in place. With a single pane of glass management system over the entire network, we are able to view everything in much more detail.”

The LUFC network is based on two high-capacity, diversely routed fibre connections constituting the resilient network core. One 20 gig connection is in the main data centre in the East Stand and one 20 gig connection in the ticket office in the West Stand. The diversely routed fibres going east to west and west to east around the stadium create a 40-gig ring that is completely faultless. Connected to these two cores are several edge cabinets that run the rest of the structure. A Vista Manager EX network management platform and the Autonomous Management Framework (AMF) from Allied Telesis, which is run from a single pane of glass to allow centralised display of network details, status, event information and automates common tasks like firmware updates, backups, and zero-touch provisioning.

Chris Dyke, Sales Director UK & Ireland, Allied Telesis, says: “When we install, secure and modernise a network, its longevity is of paramount importance to us. The network at Leeds United FC is a great example of this and we look forward to our partnership lasting many more years to ensure the network continues to deliver ROI in terms of productivity, security and, most important of all, keeping the matches going each and every season.”

OneFootball partners Helbiz Media to bring Serie BKT live matches to Italy

OneFootball and Helbiz Media have signed a new distribution partnership to bring Serie BKT live matches from Helbiz Live to millions of fans in Italy via the OneFootball platforms.  

As part of the deal, fans will be able to watch all 390 live matches per season on a pay-per-view basis across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, including the play-offs, for just €2.99 per game. Kicking off this season, it is the first time that live Serie BKT matches from Helbiz Live will be available to OneFootball’s passionate community of football fans in Italy. 

Supporters can access the live matches, complete with Italian commentary, via the OneFootball app on smartphone and tablet (iOS/Android, including Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast) and the OneFootball website.

OneFootball’s comprehensive existing streaming offer in Italy includes free highlights of all Serie A and Serie BKT matches, alongside global pay-per-view access to the Italian Serie C through OneFootball’s partnership with Eleven Italy. OneFootball users worldwide can already access the latest original content from Serie BKT, including news, statistics and match results via the app and website. 

The 2022-23 Serie BKT season will see former Serie A clubs Genoa, Venezia, and Cagliari battling against historic teams like Palermo, Bari and Parma for promotion, with just three places available to secure a return to the top flight. Serie BKT has kickstarted the careers of several Italian superstars who have gone on to play in Serie A and represent the Italian national team, including Lorenzo Insigne, Marco Verratti and Ciro Immobile.

The move comes after OneFootball recently announced a landmark partnership with the country’s top division, Lega Serie A, to bring officially-licensed digital collectibles to football fans around the globe. The world-first deal will give the football community a multi-dimensional experience that takes them from real life into a new digital age. Fans can now own, collect and trade never-before-available match moments from Serie A, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, starting for the 2022-23 season. Fans can register their interest now at Aera by OneFootball, with the products set to launch on 29 August.

Nikolaus von Doetinchem, Vice President OTT Streaming & Media Rights OneFootball, said: “Following our landmark digital collectibles partnership with Serie A, it’s an exciting time for OneFootball in Italy. Building on our suite of existing streaming deals, this partnership with Helbiz Live is our latest move to bring the country’s passionate supporters closer to the teams and players they love. Fans can now catch all the highs and lows from Serie BKT directly within the OneFootball platform, at an affordable price, without needing to miss a minute!”

Matteo Mammì, CEO of Helbiz Media, said:  “I am thrilled to partner with OneFootball, a platform growing at a terrific rate used by millions of soccer fans world-wide. This agreement represents the birth of an additional revenue stream for Helbiz Media. OneFootball will allow our content to be viewed by a large National customer base, always searching for higher quality, accessible and cheaper solutions to follow their passion.”

SailGP signs KPMG Australia as title partner for Sydney Grand Prix

SailGP has inked a new sponsorship with KPMG Australia, which sees the leading professional service firm become the Title Partner of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney, in a multi-season deal. The global racing League will return to the iconic Sydney Harbour on 18 and 19 of February, 2023.

The new partnership has been developed from the successful commercial relationship formed between KPMG and SailGP for the 2021 Australian event, whereby KPMG was the Presenting Partner. The continuation and expansion of the partnership demonstrates the commercial growth of SailGP and further cements the league’s status as a marquee event on the Australian sporting calendar.

KPMG employs almost 10,000 people in Australia, providing professional services to organisations across a wide range of industry, government and civil society sectors. KPMG also shares in SailGP’s purpose-led agenda for a better planet, with the professional service firm’s focus of reducing its impact on the environment to build a more sustainable future. 

KPMG National Managing Partner for Client Experience & Brand, Amanda Hicks said: “KPMG’s sponsorship of the world class SailGP event for the second year in a row is about reflecting the importance of taking positive action for climate and protecting the environment. SailGP highlights how we can continue to challenge ourselves in nature, and also harness significant technology solutions for a better sport and a better planet. This is the kind of environmentally friendly sport, experience, and innovation that our firm supports and celebrates towards a climate positive future.”

The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney is the ninth event of SailGP Season 3, with the championship having commenced in Bermuda in May this year. Following Tom Slingsby’s Australian side securing second place at the third event in Plymouth in July, the fleet – comprising the sport’s best athletes – will head to Copenhagen this weekend and then Saint-Tropez, Cádiz-Andalucía, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, New Zealand and San Francisco.

With SailGP going from strength to strength in Season 3, and returning to Sydney for the fourth time since the league’s inception, Slingsby, CEO and driver of the Australia SailGP Team, welcomes KPMG on board and the continued growth of the league in Australia.

Slingsby said: “It’s pretty incredible to see how fast SailGP has grown into a world renowned sporting event in only three seasons, and with well respected brands like KPMG coming on board as partners for the Australian event, it only cements this fact.

“We are all very excited about returning home again to race on Sydney Harbour and I think it will be our best event yet. With nine F50’s lined up and racing for the first time here in Sydney, it will be a sporting spectacle not to be missed.”

The KPMG partnership was facilitated by IMG, SailGP’s global agency for media rights, sponsorship and host venue rights. IMG is part of Endeavor, a strategic investor in SailGP, and previously negotiated the commercial relationship between SailGP and KPMG for the 2021 Australian event.

Chris Gilbert, Managing Director of IMG Australia and New Zealand, said: “We are delighted to extend the valued partnership with KPMG and showcase their credentials as a leader in sustainability and technology. This partnership highlights the impressive marketing value of the SailGP program and will ultimately help the sport expand its growth profile, alongside its well-defined ESG and technology mission.”

Tickets for fan experiences at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney on 18-19 February will go on sale in October.

Australian fans can tune in to watch the Australia SailGP team compete at the ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix in Copenhagen this weekend, with all racing broadcast live on Fox Sports and available live and for free on Kayo Freebies.

The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix is proudly supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Premier League club revenues grew by 8% to £4.9bn, as per Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance

The European football market grew combined revenues by 10% (€2.4bn) in 2020/21 to €27.6bn – despite an almost complete absence of fans from stadia during the season – with the uplift largely driven by deferred broadcast revenues from the previous year and the success of the postponed UEFA EURO 2020 tournament.

As per Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance, the ‘big five’ European leagues – the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 – generated €15.6bn in revenue in 2020/21, a 3% increase from the previous year (€15.1bn in 2019/20). However, revenue polarisation between and within European football leagues continued at pace.

Largely attributable to deferred broadcast revenue, Premier League club revenues grew by 8% to €5.5bn in 2020/21. By contrast, the Bundesliga – which experienced the lowest uplift in aggregate broadcast revenue of the ‘big five’ in 2020/21 – reported a 6% fall in revenue to €3.0bn.

Revenues in Spain’s La Liga also contracted by 6% to €2.9bn. La Liga clubs collectively recorded a loss in operating profits for the first since the Sports Business Group began tracking this data on a club-by-club level, in the 2013/14 season.

Clubs in Serie A experienced the greatest percentage growth in aggregate revenues of any ‘big five’ league in 2020/21, increasing by 23% to a record high of €2.5bn. Driven by a 48% increase in broadcast revenue due to significant deferrals, it is the only league to have reported higher combined revenues than before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ligue 1 fell further behind Serie A in revenue terms, with the divide between the two league’s total revenues having doubled to over €900m. Ligue 1 clubs revenues grew by just 1% during the 2020/21 season to €1.6bn, as the curtailment rather than postponement of the competition led to very limited deferred revenue being recognised.

The Premier League was the only one of the ‘big five’ to report improved total operating profits in the year, cumulatively increasing from £49m to £479m. When excluding the Premier League the ‘big five’ reported increased total operating losses during the year, increasing from €461m to €901m.

Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “Clubs across Europe played a significant proportion of matches behind closed doors or with reduced capacity during the 2020/21 season which caused an almost complete loss of matchday revenue. It’s testament to the resilience of the industry, the value driven by broadcast deals and the success of the Euros that the European football market has achieved tenacious growth, in revenue terms, over the past year.

“However, it is important not to overlook the loss-making position of many clubs. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the financial management of European football, with leagues and clubs having to seek external investment and responding to a shift in trends around transfer spending and club operations.

“Leaps made to boost financial sustainability through new UEFA regulations and to professionalise the women’s game will challenge clubs to break from tradition, potentially boosting profitability in a notoriously loss-making industry and creating a more inclusive environment for all. It is an exciting period, but one to be well prepared for.”

Deloitte’s analysis highlights a boom in investment across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, as clubs have sought and attracted investment at the very top level. Fifteen investments in clubs across the ‘big five’ leagues took place in 2021, more than in 2019 and 2020 combined (12). The vast majority (87%) of investments were made by high-net-worth individuals and private equity firms, with more than two-thirds of investments being made from the US.


Multi-club ownership (MCO) has grown in popularity, with over 70 MCOs now thought to be in existence, more than double the amount only five years ago (28). Nine of the 20 Premier League clubs operate within a MCO model.


Sam Boor, sports M&A advisory lead in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “Football is proving an attractive opportunity for a growing pool of international investors, whose confidence has been buoyed by clubs’ recovery post-COVID. To ensure that new investment brings value to all – those on the pitch, in the stands and in the boardrooms – the importance of responsible investment, which protects the financial and operational sustainability of clubs, cannot be overemphasised.”