EY report: 19-20 Premier League generated £7.6bn for UK economy
Soccer -
17 Jan 2022
During the 2019-20 season, English soccer’s top-tier Premier League contributed £7.6 billion ($10.3 billion) to the UK economy, despite the serious disruption caused by the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, a report has claimed.
The report, commissioned by the Premier League and carried out by international consultancy firm Ernst & Young (EY), claims that during that campaign, the 20 Premier League clubs and their players generated a “total tax contribution” of £3.6 billion ($4.9 billion) and that this figure has increased by £3.1 billion since 1998-99.
In terms of overall economic activity, the report claims that clubs have seen a growth of 840% in this figure since 98-99.
The 19-20 campaign saw 87,000 jobs across the UK described as “club-related”, with the league saying that in total, 94,000 positions were supported by the league itself and its member clubs.
The report also shows that the Premier League secured a “cumulative global audience” of 3.2 billion through its various overseas broadcast media partners in 19-20, which it claims is double that of the pan-European UEFA Champions League tournament.
The report claims that the total economic contribution made to the UK economy “remains equal to pre-pandemic levels … despite an estimated £1.3 billion ($1.77 billion) loss in broadcast and matchday revenues during seasons 2019-20 and 2020-21 due to Premier League matches being played behind closed doors.”
Richard Masters, the league’s chief executive, said: “This new report from EY shows how we and our clubs continue to contribute significantly to the UK economy …
“Our clubs produce exciting, competitive football featuring the best players and managers in the world, which is followed by billions of fans globally and supporters filling stadiums each week. This success and popularity enable us to continue investing in the competition and provide unparalleled support to the whole game and communities.”
Peter Arnold, chief economist at EY, added: “In the difficult times throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, football has provided moments of excitement and togetherness for many.
“This report looks at the effect of the activities behind those moments and highlights the significant growth in the league’s impact since EY’s first impact assessment of the League and its clubs in 2013-14.”
