Ranking the Most Lucrative Television Deals in World Football
Television revenue provides financial might to many of world football's biggest leagues and clubs.
It's a fact that was further underlined with the Wednesday release of the 18th edition of the Deloitte Football Money League, which ranked the top 20 clubs in Europe according to revenues during the 2013-14 season.
The exercise revealed that Manchester United, who came in second behind only Real Madrid, earned €162.3 million through broadcasting rights last term, or 31 percent of their total gross income.
Those rights accounted for 43 percent of seventh-place Chelsea's revenues, while television money made up 55 percent of the funds Juventus were able to generate over the same period.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, who negotiate their own broadcasting deals in a unique and perhaps inequitable setup, added a combined €386.3 million to their coffers thanks to television, and Madrid were the only outfit to surpass the €200 million mark in the category.
But which leagues actually have the most lucrative television contracts? The following slideshow will reveal the top five.
The data is courtesy of Forbes, and figures are presented in American dollars.
5. Ligue 1
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France's Ligue 1 brings in $830 million annually through the sale of television rights.
It's a number that's set to balloon, however, as Canal+ and beIN Sports will dish out a combined $945 million beginning in the 2016-17 season.
The current pact, which was agreed ahead of the 2012-13 campaign, actually represented a slight drop in value from the previous pact.
4. La Liga
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La Liga raked in approximately $851 million in television money last season, but it's a number that comes with an asterisk.
With its member clubs negotiating contracts separately, it follows that much of the revenue was pocketed by Real Madrid and Barcelona.
According to Forbes, the Spanish top flight is looking to centralise the process down the road.
3. Bundesliga
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The Bundesliga, which is home to super-club Bayern Munich, is in the second season of a television package worth $907 million.
But it's a figure that's set to increase significantly as Fox, beginning next fall, will take control of the German top flight's international rights in exchange for between $125 million and $150 million annually.
At present the Bundesliga's nondomestic package is worth just $91 million.
2. Serie A
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Serie A is in the midst of the final campaign included in its last rights auction, which ended up delivering $1.3 billion annually to its 20 clubs.
It's worth noting that the economic difficulties facing Italian football have more to do with commercial sponsorships and matchday revenue than television money.
Last season Juventus earned €128.2 million from broadcasting but just €34.3 from matchdays and €85 million from sponsorships, according to Deloitte.
The division's television package is set to expire and will go to auction for the period between 2015 and 2018.
1. Premier League
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The latest Premier League broadcasting package is worth $2.6 billion per year.
It's a massive number, but it could still skyrocket once again when the rights go to tender following the 2015-16 campaign.
England's top flight took home more television revenue from its overseas contracts ($1 billion) last season than any other league, with the exception of Serie A, grossed in total.
