How Does the Premier League Make So Much Money?

In recent times, the Premier League has become as known for its financial muscle as it has for its thrilling footballing action. Over the last decade, seeing players transfer between teams for upwards of £100m has become commonplace. Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea for such a fee 18 months ago, while Jack Grealish joined Manchester City from Aston Villa - becoming the first £100m Englishman - six months prior. 

The new campaign is just around the corner, and that is when the on-pitch action will take center stage. Manchester United will raise the curtain when they welcome Fulham to Old Trafford, but it's their cross-city rivals Manchester City who are the talk of the town. The Blues have lifted the Premier League title in each of the last four seasons, and they are the short-priced favorites to make it five on the spin this term. However, Arsenal are hot on their tail, and the Gunners will be aiming to go one better this season than the runners-up finish they managed last term. 

But with the Premier League becoming a billion-dollar industry in recent times, just how did the jewel in the British sporting crown become such a financial behemoth? 

The Power of Major Sponsorship Deals

Sponsorships are a cornerstone of the Premier League's financial model. These money-spinning deals with global brands bring in substantial revenue, which provides the necessary muscle to allow all 20 clubs to fork out eye-watering sums of money on their star-studded squads. The league itself has sponsorship deals such as its agreement with American giant Budweiser becoming the league's official beer partner back in 2019. 

But outside of that, the clubs also have deals of their own that they can pen as they wish. One impressive deal signed earlier this year was Aston Villa's partnering with a prominent online betting company and casino. The worlds of football and gambling have become ever more intertwined in recent years, so much so that such websites have even made slot games centered around the beautiful game. 

Popular Australian website, Ignition Casino provides football-themed slot titles, such as Zombie FC, which are available to football fans and general punters alike. The game has been created to bring supporters closer than ever to the pitch, with it being accessible 24/7, even when top-flight matches aren't taking place. This type of engagement reflects a growing trend in the gambling industry to create immersive, themed experiences that appeal to sports fans.

The rise of online gambling has dramatically changed the landscape of sports sponsorship. Many football clubs now have gambling companies as their main shirt sponsors or official betting partners.

Villa's new deal is designed with this trend in mind, bringing their supporters the best possible gaming offering while pocketing themselves a cool £40m in the process. The Villans have used those additional funds to bring in the likes of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen. 

TV Rights Deals

Another fundamental pillar of the Premier League's revenue generation is its lucrative TV rights deals. Television networks and streaming services are willing to pay enormous sums to secure the rights to broadcast matches, with the latest deal penned two years ago being worth a mighty £6.7 billion. And that's not even taking into account overseas agreements as well. 

Such whopping rights deals have seen the Premier League become the dominant force in world football. To put things into context, the Bundesliga is the closest competitor to the English top flight but their agreement is worth a full £700m less than the Premier League. La Liga and Serie A are worth even less than that. But while the division has the most lucrative rights deal in all of football, it is still surpassed by the NFL and cricket's Indian Premier League when it comes to the overall sporting landscape. 

2024/25 Season Preview 

All of those financial dealings have resulted in the Premier League becoming the most watched league on earth, and the upcoming 2024/25 season is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated of all time. As we mentioned earlier, Manchester City are the reigning champions and the favorites to make it five on the spin this season. With Erling Haaland bagging for fun and Kevin De Bruyne causing mayhem in midfield, it would take a brave punter to bet against the Etihad outfit this season. 

However, if there is one team that has the potential to hunt down the reigning champions, it's Arsenal. The Gunners are without a title since Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Arsene Wenger orchestrated an unbeaten campaign back in 2004. Since then, however, the North London club fell way down the pecking order before being picked back up by Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard was City manager Pep Guardiola's right-hand man at the Etihad, and he has brought plenty of the former Barcelona manager's hints and tips with him to the Emirates. 

Arteta has built a stellar cast in North London, primarily around young English talent. Academy product Bukayo Saka has become a genuine world beater over the past four years while former West Ham United captain Declan Rice can dominate in midfield. The Gunners have finished as runners-up in each of the last two seasons, but they will be going all out to end their drought this year.