Real Madrid is still the biggest name in football when it comes to brand value. But this year, Arsenal has made the headlines with a huge jump up the rankings.

Brand Finance’s latest Football 50 report, published on 20 August, values the world’s 50 biggest football brands at €23.9 billion in total. That’s the biggest year-on-year increase since the ranking began 15 years ago.

And the money is increasingly concentrated at the top. The 10 biggest clubs account for €14.9 billion of that total — more than 60 per cent.

Real Madrid breaks the €2 billion mark

Real Madrid has now topped the ranking for three years running. Its brand value has jumped 25 per cent in the past year to €2.4 billion, making it the first club to break the €2 billion barrier.

It is also the strongest football brand in the world for a fifth consecutive year. Real scored 95.8 out of 100 in Brand Finance’s Brand Strength Index, the highest mark among the 281 clubs included in the study.

The figure isn’t simply about trophies or results. Brand Finance takes into account things such as fan loyalty, marketing, commercial performance, revenue and the club’s ability to turn its name and reputation into future income.

For Real, the Santiago Bernabéu has become a big part of that picture.

Arsenal makes its biggest-ever jump

Barcelona stays in second place after a 15 per cent rise in brand value to around €2 billion.

Then comes Arsenal.

The London club has jumped five places to third — its highest-ever position in the Football 50. Its brand value has risen 28 per cent to €1.5 billion.

Arsenal’s Premier League title and Champions League run have helped drive the rise. The club has also overtaken Manchester United to become Britain’s strongest football brand, scoring 94 out of 100 on Brand Finance’s strength index.

That puts Arsenal alongside some of the biggest commercial names in European football.

Bayern and PSG make up the top five

Bayern Munich is fourth after a 21 per cent increase took its brand value to €1.5 billion.

Paris Saint-Germain is fifth, also valued at €1.5 billion after a roughly 10 per cent rise.

Manchester City comes next at €1.5 billion, followed by Liverpool at a similar level. Manchester United is eighth at €1.4 billion, while Chelsea is valued at €955 million and Borussia Dortmund at €664 million.

Real Madrid’s Bernabéu is more than a football stadium now

Real Madrid’s rise isn’t happening on the pitch alone.

The redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabéu has turned the stadium into a much bigger commercial operation, with income coming from hospitality, tourism, the museum and other events and activities alongside matchdays.

It is part of a strategy being pursued by clubs across Europe. The biggest stadiums are increasingly being built or renovated to make money throughout the year, rather than sitting largely empty between fixtures.

And for clubs competing at this level, that extra income can make a serious difference.

The gap at the top is growing

There is another story in the numbers.

The 50 most valuable football brands are now worth €23.9 billion. But more than 60 per cent of that value sits with just 10 clubs.

Since 2012, the combined value of those top 10 brands has risen by 250 per cent. Across the full top 50, the increase is 220 per cent.

The Premier League remains the most valuable domestic league brand, ahead of Spain, Germany, Italy and France.

For now, though, Real Madrid remains out in front — and Arsenal is rapidly closing in on the clubs that have dominated football’s commercial elite for years.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

From Canary via This RSS Feed.