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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.

Alex Malchenko Head of Sales at Evoplay

Evoplay deepens Czech reach after partnering with Bonver Win

Published

17 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-deepens-czech-reach-after-partnering-with-bonver-win

The rollout starts with 30 titles on bonvercasino.cz as Evoplay continues its regulated Czech push after entering in 2024.

Evoplay has partnered with Czech operator Bonver Win to distribute its online casino content in the market, expanding its local footprint after entering the regulated Czech Republic market in 2024.

Under the initial agreement, 30 Evoplay titles will be integrated on Bonver Win’s licensed online casino platform, bonvercasino.cz. Games named in the announcement include The Greatest Catch, Hot Triple Sevens, and Fruit Super Nova 40.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Building our presence in the Czech Republic has been an important objective since entering the market two years ago, and partnering with a well-established brand like Bonver Win is a significant milestone in that journey.

“The operator has a deep understanding of its player base and a long-standing reputation for delivering quality entertainment. We know our games resonate strongly with Czech players, and we’re excited to begin this collaboration to reach new audiences.”

Martin Varta, Casino Manager for Bonver Win, added: “At Bonver Win, we are always looking to enhance our offering with content that delivers both quality and entertainment value.

“Evoplay has built an impressive portfolio with games that combine engaging mechanics and outstanding presentation. We are delighted to welcome its portfolio to bonvercasino.cz and look forward to introducing their renowned titles to our players.”

The post Evoplay deepens Czech reach after partnering with Bonver Win appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

compliance

Finland notifies EU of gambling tech rules for data vault and OCSS signing

Published

17 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

finland-notifies-eu-of-gambling-tech-rules-for-data-vault-and-ocss-signing

Finland has submitted technical gambling regulations covering a regulatory data vault and the Official Control Signing Service (OCSS) to the EU’s Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS) on 10 July.

According to the notified documents, operators must submit signed gaming and player-account data to the authority through a secure SFTP data vault in a prescribed format. The rules also require operators to retain the data for five years and ensure “its integrity, availability and retrievability.”

The documentation also sets out requirements for using the authority’s OCSS to sign gaming data. It specifies signing generally every five minutes for gaming transactions and at least once daily for player-account data, alongside obligations to manage API keys and handle technical disruptions.

The technical documents are currently available only in Finnish. The press release says unofficial English translations have been prepared, titled “eCertification of Gaming Transactions and Gaming Account Transactions EN” and “Submission of Gaming Transactions and Gaming Account Transactions EN.”

The press release also lists the broader status of technical documentation supporting Finland’s new gambling regulation. It says randomness checks and reliability and information security requirements have been adopted into national legislation; the OCSS signing and data-vault transfer specifications have been notified via TRIS; player-account and game-event data specifications are being prepared following an earlier public consultation; a Ministry of the Interior decree is under public consultation; and drafts are still awaited covering player identification APIs, jurisdiction-wide self-exclusion checks, and certification requirements for games and platforms.

The post Finland notifies EU of gambling tech rules for data vault and OCSS signing appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

casino content

ElCasino adds Auto Roulette X and CandyBall X to its live casino lineup

Published

17 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

elcasino-adds-auto-roulette-x-and-candyball-x-to-its-live-casino-lineup

ElCasino, BETCORE’s premium live casino brand, has launched two new live casino titles, Auto Roulette X and CandyBall X. The company said both games are already live and available for integration.

Auto Roulette X is positioned as a faster-paced version of classic roulette, using an automatic ball launch and “lucky-number” multipliers. ElCasino said the game has an RTP of 97.30%, a €0.03 minimum bet, and bonus levels of x500, x777, x1000, and x3000.

CandyBall X uses a live draw format based on the selection of one numbered ball out of 37, paired with roulette-style betting options including single numbers, colors, ranges, and even/odd outcomes. ElCasino said the game includes bonus levels of x777, x1001, x3000, and x5000, with multipliers up to x5000.

ElCasino said the two launches are designed to give operators additional live content with familiar mechanics and bonus-driven features, while differentiating visually in the lobby. Partnership and integration inquiries can be directed to [email protected].

The post ElCasino adds Auto Roulette X and CandyBall X to its live casino lineup appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.