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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.

Affiliate Succes

SpinsFriends selects NetRefer to run affiliate marketing programme

Published

33 minutes ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

spinsfriends-selects-netrefer-to-run-affiliate-marketing-programme

BALTENT’s slots-focused brand says the platform will support tracking, reporting and scalable partner management in regulated European markets.

Slots-focused online casino brand SpinsFriends has partnered with NetRefer to power and manage its affiliate programme as it expands across regulated European markets.

SpinsFriends is operated by BALTENT and runs two brands, Spins and Aladins. The company said it chose NetRefer in part because the platform already had an integration with its platform provider, enabling faster setup.

Artūrs Sarma, CEO and Founder at BALTENT, said, “NetRefer already had an existing integration with our platform provider, which made the decision straightforward and allowed us to move quickly with the setup. As we scale, having clear reporting and flexible commission structures is important, and the platform gives us the tools to manage our affiliate programme in a structured and efficient way. The onboarding process was well supported, and the team guided us through each step, which made the overall experience smooth.”

NetRefer said the deployment includes its Data Ingestion API for structured data transfer and real-time visibility into affiliate activity, alongside reporting tools such as BI Analytics and Report Builder. The vendor also highlighted NetRefer CoPilot AI for performance insights and “Enhanced Tracking,” which it said combines bot detection and user agent details.

Yuliia Borshch, NetRefer’s dedicated Account Manager for SpinsFriends, said, “SpinsFriends is a brand with a clear focus on building a structured and scalable affiliate programme, and we’re pleased to support that with technology designed to deliver both clarity and flexibility. Our platform provides the tools needed to manage performance with confidence, maintain transparency across its affiliate programme, and adapt as requirements evolve. We look forward to working closely with their team as they continue to grow.”

The post SpinsFriends selects NetRefer to run affiliate marketing programme appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ACR POKER’S BLAZING HIGH FIVE TOURNAMENT SERIES RETURNS WITH $4 MILLION GUARANTEED THIS APRIL

Published

11 hours ago

April 14, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

acr-poker’s-blazing-high-five-tournament-series-returns-with-$4-million-guaranteed-this-april

New ‘Highest Five’ nosebleed events with buy-ins ranging from $5,200 to $25,500 mark the biggest stakes ever seen on ACR Poker

ACR Poker’s most lit week is back with the return of The High Five Tournament Series from April 19th to 23rd, bringing $4 Million GTD across 50 events. Each day brings a full slate of action, with 10 smoking tourneys firing daily including five high-stakes events featuring buy-ins of $44 and over and five low-stakes events with buy-ins of $33 and under.

And this year, the stakes are even higher with the new ‘Highest Five’ tourneys added on top. For the first time, ACR Poker is rolling out elite nosebleed tourneys designed for the game’s boldest players. Two nosebleed events will take place each day of the High Five Tournament Series with buy-ins from $5,200 to $25,500, marking the biggest stakes ever seen on ACR.

The High Five Tournament Series Main Event will take place on Monday, April 20th, featuring a $420 buy-in and a $200,000 GTD prize pool. The schedule also includes a special rebuy and add-on day on Monday, April 20th and a PLO day on Wednesday, April 22nd.

And the action doesn’t stop there. Players can blaze up the standings in the High Five Leaderboard Competition, where more than $25,000 in prizes are up for grabs, including $2,650 Venom seats, tourney tickets and The Golden Bong trophies. Simply by playing in High Five events, players will earn points towards either the High Leaderboard (buy-ins of $44 and over) or the Low Leaderboard (buy-ins of $33 or under).

The stakes are high and so are the names stepping in. ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker is locked in to play every Highest Five event, and so is CEO Phil Nagy. “The High Five Tournament Series has a fun vibe to it and I’m excited to be jumping into the new Highest Five tourneys,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “But what’s great about this series is that players of all bankrolls can get in on the action from small-stakes grinders to high-rollers. We’ll see you at the tables.”

For more information, visit ACRPoker.eu.

The post ACR POKER’S BLAZING HIGH FIVE TOURNAMENT SERIES RETURNS WITH $4 MILLION GUARANTEED THIS APRIL appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

ACR Poker

ACR Poker brings back High Five Series with $4m guaranteed in April Subheadline

Published

12 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

acr-poker-brings-back-high-five-series-with-$4m-guaranteed-in-april-subheadline

ACR Poker will run The High Five Tournament Series from April 19 to 23, 2026, with $4 million guaranteed across 50 tournaments, according to the operator.

The schedule lists 10 events per day, split between five higher buy-in tournaments ($44 and over) and five lower buy-in tournaments ($33 and under).

The operator is also adding new ‘Highest Five’ events—two per day—positioned as “nosebleed” tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $5,200 to $25,500. ACR Poker said these are the biggest stakes it has offered on the platform.

The series Main Event runs Monday, April 20, with a $420 buy-in and a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool. ACR Poker also flagged a rebuy and add-on day on April 20 and a dedicated PLO day on Wednesday, April 22.

A leaderboard promotion will award more than $25,000 in prizes, including $2,650 Venom seats, tournament tickets and “The Golden Bong” trophies. Points accrue via High Five events and are split into a High Leaderboard ($44 and over) and Low Leaderboard ($33 or under).

ACR Poker said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker and CEO Phil Nagy plan to play every Highest Five event. “The High Five Tournament Series has a fun vibe to it and I’m excited to be jumping into the new Highest Five tourneys,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “But what’s great about this series is that players of all bankrolls can get in on the action from small-stakes grinders to high-rollers. We’ll see you at the tables.”

The post ACR Poker brings back High Five Series with $4m guaranteed in April Subheadline appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.