Revealed: The top revenue generating women's clubs | OneFootball

English clubs continue to lead the charge for the commercialisation and professionalisation of the women’s game, according to the research from the Deloitte Football Money League.

Deloitte’s Sports Business Group is a leading advisor to governments, investors, sport governing bodies and organisations and publish yearly Money League rankings for both men’s and women’s football clubs. The women’s standings includes 15 of the highest revenue generating clubs for the financial year ending in 2024 and focuses on those competing in key football leagues across the globe.

The research does note that the revenues for clubs in Australia, Sweden and USA were not made available and is therefore not included in the analysis. The rankings also do not consider group income, such as revenue attributed to club-wide commercial agreements or any contributions from their male counterparts.

This year’s analysis from the Deloitte Football Money League profiles shows revenues surpassed €100m for the first time. English clubs continue to lead the way as eight of the top 15 women’s clubs are from the WSL.

The importance of the UEFA Women’s Champions League was also highlighted in the research as the seven non-English clubs all participated in the group stage of the European competition. Matchday revenues were boosted by growing attendance in many leagues, which in turn translated into greater interest from commercial and broadcast partners.

Liga F giants Barcelona are the highest ranked club having generated €17.9m in revenue, which is a 26% increase from the 2022/23 season. Arsenal then ranked in a close second, also on €17.9m with their matchday revenue increasing by 64% and their commercial by 48% in the 2023/24 season.

The rest of the top five is completed by two other English clubs in Chelsea (€13.4m) and Manchester United (€10.7m), followed by Real Madrid (€10.5m). The other WSL clubs to make the top 15 include Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton.

Tim Bridge, the lead partner for the Deloitte Sports Business Group, said: “The 35% growth in revenues across the 2023/24 season is an impressive reflection of the growth of women’s football across some of its leading markets. Investors and leaders are now looking beyond just revenues and increasing their focus towards the sustainability and growth of clubs.

“Commercial partners and broadcasters are now recognising the growing profile of the women’s game and increasing their investment, in turn attracting greater and more diverse audiences in new addressable markets.

“The expansion of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup demonstrates the demand for more games and competition. Pairing this with developing existing competitions, the introduction of new governance, and further investment can supercharge the participation in, professionalisation, and popularity of the women's game for the long-term.”