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Real Madrid and Barcelona neck-and-neck as world’s most valuable football brands in the face of COVID-19
- 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 4th 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 3rd 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 4th 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 8th 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.
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Former WBC cruiserweight champion to appear at PartyPoker Tour UK stops and take part in online activations.
PartyPoker has appointed former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Tony Bellew as a brand ambassador for the remainder of 2026, with appearances tied to the operator’s live PartyPoker Tour and online poker offering.
The company said Bellew will be “a regular face” at its remaining UK tour stops this season following an earlier appearance at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. Bellew will also take part in online activity linked to the PartyPoker schedule.
“I had such a great time at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. The atmosphere, the people and the passion for the game were incredible. I’m really excited to be joining the PartyPoker team for the rest of the year, getting involved at the live events, meeting players and seeing where the cards take me,” Bellew said.
PartyPoker said Bellew is scheduled to attend each remaining UK stop on the 2026 PartyPoker Tour: London in July, Glasgow in August, Cork in November, and London in December. The operator also referenced a series of exclusive online events running alongside the live calendar.
The post Tony Bellew signs as PartyPoker brand ambassador through 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Cease-and-desist letters cite alleged felonies and underage access tied to BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator.
The Arizona Department of Gaming said it has issued cease-and-desist orders to five online platforms—BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator—after investigations that the Department says involved alleged illegal gambling activity and underage access in Arizona.
In its announcement, the Department said each enforcement action alleges conduct giving rise to three felonies under Arizona law: promotion of gambling, illegal control of an enterprise, and money laundering. The agency cited Arizona’s prohibition on gambling unless specifically authorized (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Tit. 13, Ch. 33) and said the legal gambling age in the state is 21.
“Arizona is taking decisive action against illegal gambling operators that put Arizonans at risk,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “Our top priority is protecting Arizonans and I’m grateful for the efforts of our intelligence unit led by Chief Law Enforcement Officer Doug Jensen to do just that. Through these cease-and-desist orders we are putting operators on notice: their conduct runs contrary to Arizona law and they must stop promoting illegal gambling.”
The Department’s letters describe different alleged violations by operator. For BetOpenly, the Department said peer-to-peer gambling rules prohibit third-party benefit, and alleged the platform benefited via a commission structure while enabling event wagering and daily fantasy sports contests without the required state licenses, including availability to underage Arizonans. For Bookmaker, the Department said its investigation found wagering on horse racing, casino games, and sports betting without an event wagering license or an advanced deposit wagering provider license, adding that online casino games are not legal in Arizona.
For Club WPT Online Poker, the Department alleged the platform enabled individuals under 21 in Arizona to enter pay-to-play online poker tournaments for prizes while using deceptive “no purchase necessary” language; the Department said online poker is illegal in Arizona. For Kutt Inc., the Department said Arizona “social” gambling prohibits third-party benefit and directed the operator to stop allowing Arizona users to deposit money and wager on sports, politics, pop culture, and casino-style games. For Raffle Creator, the Department said the operator did not meet requirements that allow Arizona nonprofits to conduct lawful raffles and alleged it allowed people under 21 to purchase tickets for prize chances.
The Department said the notified entities are directed to immediately stop all gambling operations and activities in Arizona “whether through mobile applications, online, or otherwise,” and to cease any future illegal gambling in the state. It added that future actions may include criminal charges or civil action against entities, principals, and employees, and that operators “may be subject to a potential award of restitution” and forfeiture of monies acquired due to the alleged conduct.
The post Arizona regulator orders five operators to stop alleged illegal gambling activity appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Tony Bellew has officially joined the PartyPoker Brand Ambassador team for the remainder of 2026, strengthening the brand’s growing roster of ambassadors and reinforcing its commitment to bringing poker to a wider audience.
A former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion and one of Britain’s most recognisable sporting personalities, Bellew will play an active role across both PartyPoker’s live tour and online offering throughout the rest of the year.
Speaking about joining the team, Tony Bellew said: “I had such a great time at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. The atmosphere, the people and the passion for the game were incredible. I’m really excited to be joining the PartyPoker team for the rest of the year, getting involved at the live events, meeting players and seeing where the cards take me.”
His return follows a hugely successful appearance at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham earlier this year, where he embraced the atmosphere, spent time with players and immersed himself in the event. After thoroughly enjoying the experience, Bellew will now become a regular face at the remaining UK stops on the PartyPoker Tour throughout the rest of the 2026 season.
As part of his ambassadorial role, Bellew will attend every remaining UK stop PartyPoker Tour in 2026:
- London – July
- Glasgow – August
- Cork – November
- London – December
With four live festival stops and a series of exclusive online events still to come, players will have plenty of opportunities to meet Bellew at the tables throughout the remainder of the 2026 PartyPoker calendar. Look out for opportunities to take him on online, and at the PartyPoker Tour in Glasgow, Cork and London.
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The post Former WBC World Champion Tony Bellew Joins PartyPoker as Brand Ambassador appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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