Soccer Broadcasting Revenue: An Uneven Playing Field

Despite a new ten-year deal with Apple raising MLS global media rights revenue to an estimated €250 million per year, the United States' soccer league still has an awful lot of catching up to do with its European rivals. Over in the bastion of elite soccer, the sums being thrown around to bag the lucrative broadcasting rights are on an entirely different level.

As this chart using analysis by ACE Football Benchmark illustrates, the Premier League is head and shoulders above the other major leagues on the continent. For last season, the English top flight pulled in total revenue of €3.5 billion. These high costs for broadcasters also translate of course to high prices for fans wishing to watch the matches. With the beautiful game viewing experience now spread across multiple providers, the outlay for some has long since become untenable.