Long-term sponsorship deals have helped Real Madrid become the first club to generate over €750m ($850.1m) in a single season, according to a new report from Deloitte.
In the 2017-18 Deloitte Football Money League, Real Madrid took the top spot for a record twelfth time, after posting a total revenue of €750.9m for the season.
Almost half – €356.2m, or 47 per cent – of that figure was raised through commercial operations such as sponsorship, merchandising and stadium tours.
Increased sponsorship revenue, primarily through long-term deals with kit supplier adidas and main shirt sponsor Emirates, led to a €54.8m uplift in commercial revenue at the club last season.
The total revenue gap between Real Madrid and Money League runners-up, Barcelona, now stands at over €60m – the second largest margin ever recorded between the top two positions.
Barcelona posted a total revenue of €690.4m, and in third place – having fallen from first last season – Manchester United posted a total revenue of €666m.
Despite Man United’s sliding from first to third overall, the Premier League still features six teams in the top 10, the most ever from a single country.
Commercial revenue at Manchester United continues to dwarf that of its closest English rivals.
Last season, Manchester United raised €322m (or 47 per cent) of its total revenue through commercial operations.
Manchester City, the second-highest earning club in the Premier League, also raised 47 per cent of its revenue through commercial operations, but this came to €265m – almost €60m less than Manchester United.
Below the Premier League’s top two, the gap in both total and commercial revenue widens further.
Third-place Liverpool generated €513.7m in total revenue and €170.8m (33 per cent) in commercial income.
Fourth-place Chelsea generated €505.7m in total revenue, but surpassed Liverpool in commercial revenue, with €191.8m (38 per cent).
And in fifth place, Arsenal generated €439.2m in total revenue and €120.7m in commercial revenue (28 per cent).
Tottenham Hotspur (£379.4m total revenue) re-enters the Money League top 10 for the first time since 2006-07, having capitalised on playing a full season at Wembley Stadium which has seen match-day revenue increase by £26.5m (54 per cent).
The north London club’s commercial revenue trails slightly behind Arsenal’s, at €116.5m, or 27 per cent of total revenue.