Deloitte Football Money League: Bayern Munich falls to fifth place in revenue

The 2016 Deloitte Football Money League report for the 2014/15 season appeared earlier this week. Published annually by Deloitte, an international financial services company based in New York City, the Football Money League ranks the top thirty soccer clubs by revenue every season, focusing especially on the top 20. The full report, with profiles of the top 20 clubs, may be read in full here.

Bayern loses ground

For the first time in twelve years, Bayern Munich has slipped down the table. After placing third in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons, Bayern fell to fifth place in the 2014/15 season with a revenue of €474 million, a decline of 2.8 percent from €487.5 million in the 2013/14 season. That placed them behind Real Madrid (€577 million), Barcelona (€560.8 million), Manchester United (€519.5 million), and Paris Saint-Germain (€480.8 million), all clubs who increased their revenue from last season – Real Madrid notably by a full five percent. While Real Madrid has held first place since 2004/05, Barcelona has returned to its usual place in second, pushing Manchester United back to third place. PSG - the only French team in the top 20 - leaped ahead of Bayern Munich for fourth place.

Deloitte Money League total revenues (2016 Deloitte Football Money League, p. 3).

Bayern under pressure

Bayern commercial revenue declined by €13.7 million to €278.1 million in 2014/15, yet still placed them second behind PSG, which earns most of its revenue from sources (62 percent!). Despite this strong finish, however, it seems likely that Bayern will continue to lose ground to other clubs: for the first time, a total of six clubs posted commercial revenue over €200 million in 2014/15, but the commercial revenue of Bayern's biggest competitors is growing twice as fast. Bayern hopes to compensate by building its global brand, most notably in Asia, as illustrated by its pre-season summer tour of China in 2015.

Bayern Munich 2015 revenue profile (2016 Deloitte Football Money League, p. 18).

The future belongs to England

It will come as no surprise that the Money League is dominated by English clubs. Deloitte already predict that Manchester United will take Real Madrid's place at the top of the table in the next report. For now, nine of the top 20 clubs by revenue, and 17 of the top 30, all hail from the English Premier League – and that number seems destined to grow. Deloitte already believe it is conceivable that all twenty EPL teams will appear in the top 30 of the Money League in the near future, as their revenue is boosted by the new domestic broadcasting deal coming into effect in 2016/17. Borussia Dortmund and Schalke are the only other representatives of the Bundesliga in the top 20 (and top 30), and they face similar pressure.

Money League top-20 clubs by country (2016 Deloitte Football Money League, p. 7).