Contact: Katie Broome
Deloitte & Touche LLP
+44 020 7303 6359

Deloitte’s latest Annual Review of Football Finance reports that almost £1 billion has been invested in the 12 venues for the World Cup. Developing five new stadia and refurbishing a further seven.

Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “The World Cup has driven almost £1 billion of investment in German football stadia over recent years and it provides the opportunity for German clubs to develop their revenue streams. For the 2005/06 season just ended, the average Bundesliga match attendance was higher than any other league in the world at over 40,000.”

The report also highlights that investment in stadia and facilities by the top 92 clubs in England since the start of the Premiership is now over £2 billion.  For the 2005/06 season just ended, the average Premiership match attendance of around 34,000 was second only to Germany. 

Paul Rawnsley, Director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “For most clubs in England major stadium redevelopment or new build is over, so attendances have stabilised.  The Premiership clubs have continued to achieve stadium capacity utilisation at over 90%.”

Going forward, one of the challenges for English clubs is to improve matchday yields through ticketing and corporate hospitality strategy.

For the German clubs, although they have made significant advances in terms of stadia development, there is still a very long way to go before they catch up with England financially.

Ends

Note to editors

About the Sports Business Group at Deloitte
Over the last 15 years Deloitte has developed a unique focus on the business of sport. Our specialist Sports Business Group offers a multi-disciplined expert service with dedicated people and skills capable of adding significant value to the business of sport. Whether it is benchmarking or strategic business reviews, operational turnarounds, revenue enhancement strategies or stadium/venue development plans, business planning, market and demand analysis, acquisitions, due diligence, expert witness, audits or tax planning; we have worked with more clubs, leagues, governing bodies, stadia developers, event organisers, commercial partners, financiers and investors than any other adviser.

For further information on our services you can access our website at www.deloitte.co.uk/sportsbusinessgroup

About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte & Touche LLP which is among the country’s leading professional services firms, providing audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance services. Known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programmes, it is dedicated to helping its clients and people excel. Deloitte & Touche LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (‘DTT’), a Swiss Verein whose member firms are separate and independent legal entities.  Neither DTT nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s omissions.  Services are provided by member firms or their subsidiaries and not by DTT.  

 Deloitte & Touche LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.