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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.

Andy Phillips SportingRisk.com CBDO

Sporting Risk supplies player props and BetBuilder tools to BOYLE Sports

Published

10 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

sporting-risk-supplies-player-props-and-betbuilder-tools-to-boyle-sports

Deal covers pre-match and in-play football markets, including in-play multis and micromarkets across more than 150 competitions.

Sporting Risk has partnered with BOYLE Sports to integrate its Player Props, Pre-canned BetBuilder, and Next-Gen player-centric in-play BetBuilder into the operator’s sportsbook.

The companies said the rollout will increase player market coverage and combinability for BOYLE Sports in the UK and Ireland, with support for player markets across more than 150 global competitions.

According to the announcement, the integration also includes in-play multis and micromarkets aimed at expanding real-time betting options tied to player-driven markets.

Andy Phillips, SportingRisk.com CBDO, said: “It’s great to see us strengthen our position in the UK market via a partnership with a high street brand who have a lot of operational expertise and are driving forward with a great online product. The UK is the most competitive football Betbuilder market and we are helping operators here to surpass the very best products across all the objective metrics we can measure.”

David Burgin, Trading Director at BOYLE Sports, added: “Our focus at BOYLE Sports is on delivering a market-leading experience and this partnership with Sporting Risk significantly enhances our football offering. The depth of player markets, combinability and in-play capabilities will offer more engaging opportunities, and we’re excited to bring these innovations to our customers as we continue to improve the quality and breadth of our sportsbook.”

The post Sporting Risk supplies player props and BetBuilder tools to BOYLE Sports appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

21.com

21.com launches online casino and sportsbook led by ex-BetVictor CEO Michael Carlton

Published

10 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

21.com-launches-online-casino-and-sportsbook-led-by-ex-betvictor-ceo-michael-carlton

21.com has launched as an online casino and sportsbook, naming industry veteran Michael Carlton as Founder & CEO, the company said on 16 June 2026.

The operator said it is targeting a range of global jurisdictions and plans to differentiate through a “modern technology stack” and “AI-centric operations.” It did not disclose target markets, licensing status, launch territories, or product partners.

Carlton previously served 13 years at EY as a Chartered Accountant before entering gaming in 1997, according to the company. He later spent 17 years as CEO of BetVictor and has since invested in betting and gaming companies.

Carlton said 21.com is being built without legacy platform constraints. “Having started in the gaming industry prior to the launch of the internet and then having the privilege of being involved as the industry evolved and adapted to the opportunities, there is now a further revolution occurring with the power created by embracing AI helping us to move faster and tailor personalised experience to the player.

“One of 21.com’s greatest strengths is that it is being developed for the current market, rather than an after-thought adaptation of an existing one. Many operators have been around for a long time and continue to be defined by legacy platforms and pre-crypto payment customer journeys that existed long before the modern technical tools that exist now became a reality. 21.com has embraced AI to deliver unparalleled customer experiences.

“With a team of industry leading experts with the motivation and ability to achieve our goals but without any legacy systems, 21.com is able to take advantage of new technologies to become a market leader in the gaming industry”.

The company also set aggressive commercial targets. “21.com will be one of the top three operators in every market it operates and in the world within two years,” Carlton said.

The post 21.com launches online casino and sportsbook led by ex-BetVictor CEO Michael Carlton appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Booming Games signs content deal with World Sports Betting in South Africa

Published

1 hour ago

June 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

booming-games-signs-content-deal-with-world-sports-betting-in-south-africa

WSB adds Booming titles including Tasty Bonanza, Cash Pig and the Buffalo series to its casino lobby.

Booming Games has signed a partnership with World Sports Betting (WSB) to roll out a selection of its casino titles on WSB’s platform in South Africa.

Under the agreement, WSB players will gain access to Booming Games content including Tasty Bonanza, Cash Pig and the Buffalo series. Booming Games positioned the deal as part of its wider expansion strategy across Africa.

Ryno Du Plessis, Group Chief Operating Officer at World Sports Betting, said: “We believe that Booming’s portfolio will offer something new and unique to our clients. Titles like Tasty Bonanza, Cash Pig and the popular Buffalo series are sure to be very popular with our player base.”

Solomon Godwin, Head of Africa at Booming Games, added: “We are thrilled to partner with World Sports Betting, a company with an outstanding reputation for delivering premium entertainment to players across the South African market. This collaboration represents an exciting step forward in expanding Booming Games’ reach and ensuring our titles are accessible to even more players in South Africa. We look forward to building a successful long-term relationship and delivering high-quality entertainment to their customers.”

The post Booming Games signs content deal with World Sports Betting in South Africa appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.