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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.

Amusnet

Weekend Reels | Week 27: Slot Drops & Trends

Published

5 minutes ago

July 3, 2026

Wladimir P.

weekend-reels-|-week-27:-slot-drops-&-trends

Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by Eastern European Gaming

Mega Casino has launched 10 Hot Diamond Desire, a new online slot developed by Bragg Gaming, as an exclusive title available only to Mega Casino players. According to the companies, the release is intended to strengthen Mega Casino’s exclusive content line-up in the UK online casino market.

Million Games has launched Skull King’s Treasure, a high-volatility cluster slot developed in partnership with Million Stars studio Arcane Pixel. It runs on a 6×6 grid with a cluster pay mechanic, paying on connections of five or more matching symbols and using cascading wins to enable multiple outcomes from a single spin.

Evoplay has launched Safari Coins, a new three-reel slot built around collector gameplay and four fixed jackpots, including a GRAND prize worth 1,000x the bet. In Safari Coins, wins trigger when three symbols land across the middle row, which starts the Bonus Game and locks icons in place.

Habanero has launched Happy Hatchlings, a new fantasy-themed slot set in a “magical dragon kingdom”. The game runs on a 5×3 reel set-up with 243 ways to win. Its core feature is the Ice Mother Wild, which triggers a screen-wide transformation where “every matching egg symbol on the screen converts into a powerful dragon symbol simultaneously,” according to the company.

Genting Casino Online has launched Money Gong Empress, a new online slot from IGT, as an exclusive title for its players. The five-reel game uses IGT’s Money Gong mechanic and includes Hold and Win-style gameplay, prize modifiers, “Money Balls”, bonus features, and free games with expanding wilds, according to the company.

Amusnet has expanded its premium slot portfolio with the launch of Amaterasu’s Treasures x1000, a captivating new video slot that combines rich mythology-inspired storytelling with engaging mechanics and high-win potential. Drawing inspiration from Amaterasu Ōmikami, the revered Japanese sun goddess, the title invites players to explore the celestial realm of Takamagahara.

Spinomenal has launched a new slot title, 3 Scarabs Of Rebirth, expanding its Egyptian-themed content catalogue. The game is a 5×3 reel video slot built around a Hold & Hit-style bonus. In the base game, the Pharaoh serves as the Wild and substitutes for all symbols except the Bonus, Boost, Collect, Multi and Jackpot symbols

Gaming Corps has launched 3 Pigs of Independence Hog & Win, a new title in its 3 Pigs slot series. The Sweden-based, publicly listed developer said the game is themed around US Independence Day. The game runs on a 3×5 grid with 243 ways to win. Gaming Corps said it is built around “Hog & Win”, its pig-themed take on Hold & Win.

Booming Games has launched Booming Buffalo Hold and Win Extreme 25,000, a new entry in its Buffalo Hold and Win slot series. The title uses a 5×3 grid with 25 fixed paylines and increases the top payout to 25,000x, according to the company. In the base game, coin symbols can trigger the Buffalo Bonus feature, awarding a spin on the Buffalo Bonus Wheel.

ICONIC21 has launched Buffalo 250 Anniversary, a Fourth of July-themed slot created to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary. The game is centered on a buffalo and set against Independence Day fireworks, using imagery associated with US identity and the country’s upcoming semi quincentennial.

The post Weekend Reels | Week 27: Slot Drops & Trends appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

content deals

QTech signs InOut Games distribution deal for emerging markets

Published

1 hour ago

July 3, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-signs-inout-games-distribution-deal-for-emerging-markets

QTech has signed a content distribution agreement with supplier InOut Games to roll out the studio’s games to operators in emerging markets via QTech’s aggregation platform. The companies announced the deal on 3 July 2026.

Under the agreement, QTech will integrate InOut Games’ portfolio, which the supplier said now totals nearly 70 titles in under two years. InOut Games is best known for its crash game Chicken Road and has since expanded into slots, including Chicken Royal, Joker Pyre, Ice Fish, and Fruits Love Fever.

Vlad Snak, CEO at InOut Games, said: “QTech Games is a hotbed for superior games and a rarefied air for the player experience. We are rapidly widening our gaming suite and scope across developing regions and their market-leading platform provides an agile pathway to some previously overlooked territories. Needless to say, agreeing this new deal tracks our core strategy to fully leverage our reach, and we look forward to seeing how new audiences embrace our games.”

Philip Doftvik, CEO at QTech, added: “After a breakout beginning in the crash games domain, InOut Games is now proving itself as a broader provider of thrilling and innovative casino content, with a focus on creating quality, cutting-edge slots that are delivered reliably to our partners via our premier platform – on time, every time. Like us, they understand that localised solutions comprise the key to success across this patchwork quilt of opportunities.”

The post QTech signs InOut Games distribution deal for emerging markets appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Buffalo 250 Anniversary

ICONIC21 launches Buffalo 250 Anniversary slot themed around US 250th

Published

2 hours ago

July 3, 2026

Wladimir P.

iconic21-launches-buffalo-250-anniversary-slot-themed-around-us-250th

Fourth of July-themed release reflects the studio’s push for market-specific content in regulated US-facing iGaming.

ICONIC21 has launched Buffalo 250 Anniversary, a Fourth of July-themed slot created to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The game is centered on a buffalo and set against Independence Day fireworks, using imagery associated with US identity and the country’s upcoming semi quincentennial.

ICONIC21 said the release reflects its focus on building content around themes and player preferences that resonate in specific markets, with the US described as an increasingly important market for its partners and a key source of player engagement. The company develops live casino, RNG and slots content for regulated operators.

“The Fourth of July is one of those occasions that is recognised far beyond the United States, and the country’s 250th anniversary makes it especially significant,” said Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21. “The theme combines a distinctly American symbol with a moment that has real cultural relevance for players and operators alike.”

ICONIC21 added that it works with operators to shape its roadmap around player data, market demand and local relevance, and that it assesses follow-on titles using internal views, performance data and operator feedback. The provider said it has expanded beyond a classic casino portfolio — including roulette, baccarat and blackjack — into RNG and slots while keeping a market-specific focus for regulated environments.

The post ICONIC21 launches Buffalo 250 Anniversary slot themed around US 250th appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.