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Real Madrid and Barcelona neck-and-neck as world’s most valuable football brands in the face of COVID-19

Published

6 years ago

July 30, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Real Madrid remain world’s most valuable football brand, but Barcelona narrow the gap to just €6 million
COVID-19 causes total brand value of top 50 clubs to decrease for the first time in 6 years – €751 million or 3.7% is knocked off
English clubs dominate the ranking with six brands in top 10 and 19 in top 50
Liverpool inches two spots up into 4^th place, following historic Premier League win
Bundesliga’s 1. FC Köln is this year’s fastest-growing brand, followed by Leicester City and RB Leipzig – all recording over 40% growth
Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium takes top spot in Buro Happold’s Venue Performance Rating

Real Madrid remain the most valuable football club brand in the world for 2020, according to the latest edition of the Brand Finance Football Annual. Boosted by winning the LaLiga title for the first time since 2017, the club retained its position at the top of the table in the football industry, but against a backdrop of economic and social disruption, caused primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic, Real Madrid’s brand value has declined by 14% to €1,419 million.

Real Madrid’s disappointing on-pitch performance prior to 2019-20, which saw an earlier-than-normal exit from the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19 and a second successive season adrift of LaLiga champions Barcelona, eroded the club’s dominance of the Brand Finance ranking. The situation was exacerbated by COVID-19, along with a lack of stability around the management of the team. Barcelona, Real’s fierce rivals, are just €6 million behind Real with a brand value of €1,413 million, supported by strong and diverse revenue generation and continued domestic performance in Spain.

COVID-19 knocks off €751 million of brand value

Real Madrid is not the only club to see a drop in brand value this year. COVID-19 has caused the total value of the top 50 football brands to decrease for the first time in 6 years. Through its effect on the three main revenue streams – Matchday, Broadcasting, and Commercial – €751 million or 3.7% has been knocked off the cumulative brand value of the world’s top 50 most valuable football clubs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged professional football worldwide and across all levels. Matchday income for the 501 games remaining in the big 5 leagues dropped to zero, but it is often the smaller clubs and leagues which are more reliant on this revenue stream – in Scotland it makes up 43% of total revenue, compared to only 13% in England.

There have been some positive signs, as Southampton vs Manchester City on BBC broke the Premier League TV audience record with 5.7 million viewers, but the longer-term damage to the game’s economic structure has yet to be revealed.

Richard Haigh, Managing Director of Brand Finance, commented:

“Top-level football has been confronted with the largest existential threat since the Second World War. Loss of income, coupled with health concerns about mass gatherings, have raised question marks about the future of the industry and the financial resilience of clubs across all levels. The full damage of the COVID-19 crisis has yet to unfold and it is not inconceivable there will be casualties in the form of club bankruptcies and changes in ownership.”

Despite the huge implications of COVID-19 for football clubs and their financial results, the majority of the brand value is secured by the clubs’ long-term future – provided they can survive the initial shock. For example, only 21% of Real Madrid’s brand value is delivered by the next five years’ financial results.

Premier power

Real Madrid and Barcelona are followed by a cluster of English Premier League clubs in the Brand Finance Football Annual 2020 ranking, with Manchester United in 3^rd position after their brand value fell by 11% to €1,314 million. Liverpool, who won their first league title since 1990 in runaway style, are in 4^th spot jumping above Manchester City in terms of brand value, rising from €1,191 million in 2019 to €1,262 million, a 6% increase. Chelsea dropped one place in the table to 8^th after their value fell for the fourth consecutive year to €949 million. This was arguably due to the club being absent from the UEFA Champions League and also suffering a transfer ban after being charged with breaking Financial Fair Play Regulations.

€10M guarantee

WSOP Europe 2026 Adds €1,000 Ladies Championship in Prague — Exclusive Gold Bracelet Up for Grabs

Published

2 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

wsop-europe-2026-adds-e1,000-ladies-championship-in-prague-—-exclusive-gold-bracelet-up-for-grabs

The World Series of Poker (WSOP®) has added a prestigious €1,000 Ladies Championship to the WSOP Europe 2026 schedule in Prague, set for Saturday, April 4, 2026.

The inaugural Ladies Championship highlights WSOP’s ongoing commitment to growing women’s competitive poker on the world stage and elevates the Prague festival’s lineup of headline events.

Ladies Championship: unique bracelet and premier competition

Open exclusively to female players, the new Ladies Championship offers more than a prize pool — the winner will receive a specially designed WSOP gold bracelet created uniquely for Ladies Events. This custom bracelet features additional gemstones and a distinct setting that sets it apart from standard WSOP hardware, adding prestige to the victory and reinforcing the event’s status among international women’s tournaments.

A star-studded field confirmed

The inaugural Ladies Championship is already drawing top international talent. Early registrants and confirmed players include celebrity entrant Mackenzie Dern and elite pros such as Leo Margets, Vanessa Kade, Kitty Kuo, Xuan Liu, Shiina Okamoto, Cecile Ticherfatine, and Kasey Lyn Mills. Popular poker vloggers Ashley Frank and Abby Merk, along with GGTeam’s Andrijana “Lijapoker” Gligoric, are also slated to compete. WSOP will announce additional entrants and schedule highlights on its official social channels in the weeks ahead.

WSOP Europe 2026 — festival details

WSOP Europe 2026 runs March 31 – April 12 at the Hilton Prague, and promises to be Europe’s largest poker festival of the year. The series is anchored by the €5,300 Main Event and its headline €10,000,000 guarantee, plus a deep festival schedule designed to serve professionals and recreational players alike.

Players can qualify for WSOP Europe events exclusively through GGPoker, with additional event information and updates posted on WSOP’s official channels.

Why this matters for women’s poker

Adding a dedicated Ladies Championship to the Prague schedule underscores WSOP’s strategy to broaden access and spotlight women’s competition at major international venues. The event not only creates high-profile competitive opportunities for female players but also enhances community engagement and visibility for women in poker worldwide.

For more details and the latest announcements about WSOP Europe 2026, follow WSOP on social media or check the WSOP news hub for schedule updates and player announcements.

The post WSOP Europe 2026 Adds €1,000 Ladies Championship in Prague — Exclusive Gold Bracelet Up for Grabs appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

All the Ways Players Pay: Super Bowl

Paysafe research: Half of Super Bowl fans to bet in regulated North American markets

Published

7 hours ago

February 4, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

paysafe-research:-half-of-super-bowl-fans-to-bet-in-regulated-north-american-markets

Payment speed and brand reputation remain crucial for bettors’ selection of online sportsbooks for Super Bowl LX, with 27% expecting to wager more than usual

In the countdown to this Sunday’s Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, 51% of fans who’ll follow the football game in U.S. states and Canadian provinces with regulated sports-betting plan to bet online, according to research issued today by leading payments platform Paysafe. The company’s All the Ways Players Pay: Super Bowl report also indicates strong interest in legal betting from fans in this year’s host state, if California were to regulate sports-betting, as well as in Texas and Canada’s Alberta.

Appetite to legally wager in California, Texas, and Alberta – with the Canadian province expected to launch its jurisdiction before year-end – rivals the regulated market, with 52% of fans keen to wager on future Super Bowls. Across these currently unregulated jurisdictions and regulated sports-betting markets alike, fans consider payments crucial for online sports betting.

Surveying fans intending to bet in the regulated markets of Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Canada’s Ontario, the report reveals that 59% of them plan to place bets on game-day and 27% expect to wager more than usual. Their top criteria when choosing an online sportsbook are brand trust (prioritized by 43%) and streamlined payouts (37%). Cashing out a Super Bowl bet seamlessly is considered more important than every other non-payment factor, including good odds (30%), UX (22%), promos (21%), and sports events (14%).

Other payment factors are also instrumental in how fans in regulated markets choose sportsbooks, especially rapid deposits (prioritized by 25%) and range of payment methods (24%).

With bettors prioritizing their go-to payment methods’ availability, the battle for Super Bowl customers will likely be won in part by sportsbooks with diverse cashiers.

Across the regulated market, players’ preference for debit cards (43%) is today rivalled by digital wallets (42%). And while states like Massachusetts ban credit cards for wagering, they remain a preference for 33% overall, rising as high as 51% in New York and 47% in Ontario, the top choice in the province.

With established local payment methods (LPMs) like Venmo in the U.S. and Interac e-Transfer in Canada, it’s no surprise that 20% of bettors expect to see their favorite LPM at the cashier. And with 17% of players preferring to wager with pay-by-bank solutions and 10% favoring eCash, sportsbooks with these options will likely gain a competitive edge.

With over a quarter of bettors expecting to wager more than normal, the game offers an important short-term revenue opportunity, but the real value for operators is retaining customers for the long-haul – and here payments are also key. If the payment experience goes awry for the game, 84% of bettors would switch brands.

While California, Texas and Alberta are yet to launch regulated sports-betting markets, Super Bowl fans there are already aware of payments’ importance. If wagering were legal, fans would prioritize payment factors – fast payouts (29%) and rapid deposits (26%) – above everything but brand reputation (36%) when selecting a sportsbook.

Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, commented: “Super Bowl LX is expected to generate a record $1.71bn in legal wagers from the U.S. market alone, with an unprecedented betting volume also likely in Canada’s Ontario. The game represents a massive growth opportunity for North American online sportsbooks, and our research indicates that operators that are laser-focused on their cashiers and streamlining the payment experience will give themselves an edge in a highly competitive market.”

The post Paysafe research: Half of Super Bowl fans to bet in regulated North American markets appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Boomerang Partners

Boomerang Partners prepares a major affiliates activation, TIME TO WIN, as the Year of Sports enters its hot phase

Published

9 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

boomerang-partners-prepares-a-major-affiliates-activation,-time-to-win,-as-the-year-of-sports-enters-its-hot-phase

As the global sports calendar enters one of its most intense and opportunity-rich periods, Boomerang Partners is preparing an activation designed to capture the full attention of affiliate teams worldwide. The agency has released a teaser video featuring players from AC Milan, its Official Regional Partner, signaling the upcoming launch of TIME TO WIN — an exclusive initiative built specifically for affiliates.

The video, already sparking anticipation across the industry, delivers two clear messages: TIME TO WIN and Save the date. The full reveal is scheduled for February 12.

More Than a Campaign

Although details remain tightly under wraps, one thing is already evident: TIME TO WIN is not a conventional affiliate campaign or a one-off promotion. The teaser features AC Milan stars Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Alexis Saelemaekers, Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, and Rafael Leão — stopping just short of revealing what’s coming next.

Behind the scenes, TIME TO WIN appears to be a carefully engineered project built at the intersection of elite sport, affiliate expertise, and precise timing. It reflects Boomerang Partners’ long-term strategy of supporting affiliates during the most competitive moments of the sports season, where speed, readiness, and execution make the difference.

Powered by One of Football’s Most Iconic Clubs

The involvement of AC Milan is no coincidence. As Boomerang Partners’ Official Regional Partner, the club plays a central role in the TIME TO WIN concept, bringing global prestige, massive reach, and elite sporting credibility.

This partnership allows affiliate teams to align with one of the most recognizable football brands in the world, blending top-tier football energy with performance-driven marketing opportunities. As part of the broader collaboration, Boomerang Partners and AC Milan are preparing multiple initiatives throughout the season — including exclusive experiences, high-impact campaigns, and the launch of the AC Milan Hub, a dedicated portal centralizing all partnership-related activities.

Preparation Makes the Difference

While the full scope of TIME TO WIN will only be revealed on February 12, affiliates can already prepare by leveraging Boomerang Partners’ Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026. This expert resource is designed to help partners anticipate peak moments, plan campaigns in advance, and make smarter decisions when competition is at its highest.

A Critical Window for Affiliates

The timing of TIME TO WIN aligns perfectly with one of the busiest stretches of the sports year. February and March feature a packed schedule of global events, including:

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
UEFA Champions League knockout stages
Men’s Basketball World Cup Qualifiers
Major tennis tournaments such as Indian Wells and the Miami Open

For affiliate teams, this period demands precision, rapid execution, and well-timed activations — exactly where TIME TO WIN is positioned to deliver a strategic edge.

What Affiliates Can Expect

While Boomerang Partners is keeping the finer details confidential for now, expectations are high. TIME TO WIN is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious and exclusive affiliate activations of the 2026 sports season — a high-impact opportunity designed for teams ready to perform when it matters most.

The wait won’t be long. Full details of TIME TO WIN will go live on February 12 via the Boomerang Partners website.

Stay tuned.

About Boomerang Partners

Boomerang Partners is a fast-growing global marketing agency delivering a wide range of affiliate and entertainment services. An Official Regional Partner of AC Milan, the agency launched the Golden Boomerang Awards in 2024 — a global affiliate tournament that attracted more than 400 teams in its second season in 2025.

Between 2024 and 2025, Boomerang Partners’ clients launched six new products, driving nearly 1.5x growth in product users. The agency’s portfolio includes more than 10 brands operating across 40+ regulated markets, offering personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.

The post Boomerang Partners prepares a major affiliates activation, TIME TO WIN, as the Year of Sports enters its hot phase appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.