LaLiga Rakes in Record Revenue Post-Pandemic as Commercial Income Surpasses €5 Billion
LaLiga, Spain’s premier football league, has reported a remarkable recovery with record commercial revenue in the 2023-24 season, marking a significant post-pandemic comeback. The league’s recurring revenue has exceeded €5 billion for the first time since the pandemic, although it remains short of pre-Covid levels.
LaLiga generated €5.049 billion from its key revenue streams—matchday, commercial, broadcasting, and UEFA prize money—reflecting a 3.2% increase from the previous season. This surge was fueled by a resurgence in fan enthusiasm, with a record 16 million spectators attending matches at an impressive average capacity of 75.4%.
The robust attendance figures played a crucial role in boosting matchday revenue by 4.8%, while commercial income saw a 7.4% rise, surpassing €1 billion for the second consecutive year. “After the pandemic, we said it would take four or five years to recover the Covid losses, and that has been the case,” stated LaLiga president Javier Tebas during a press conference.
Despite the positive trends in recurring revenue, total revenue for the league dipped by 10% to €5.125 billion compared to last season’s inflated figure of €5.69 billion, which had been boosted by a €1.99 billion deal with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. “Removing the effects of last year’s levers, which distorted the total numbers, you can see that we are a sustainable league,” Tebas added.
Looking ahead, LaLiga anticipates attendance will increase to over 18 million fans next season, with plans to break the pre-pandemic recurring revenue record of €5.065 billion set in the 2019-20 season.
In addition to these financial updates, Tebas announced changes to LaLiga’s stringent Financial Fair Play regulations, including a new minimum wage cap of 30% of a club’s turnover. This adjustment aims to prevent financially struggling clubs like Sevilla and Barcelona from starting seasons with restrictive wage limits that hinder their ability to register and sign new players.
Tensions have recently flared between Barcelona and LaLiga over player registrations, particularly concerning Dani Olmo and Pau Victor. The situation concluded with Spain’s National Sports Council allowing both players to compete for the club until the end of the season.
