Message from EY

Miguel Farinha

Partner and Strategy and Transactions Leader at EY Despite the 2020-21 season being fully marked by the pandemic, there was an increase in the revenue of the Sports Societies and in the respective impact on the Portuguese national economy, which illustrates the importance and resilience of the industry but also the adaptability of its stakeholders.

2020-21 Season: An unparalleled season in Football

The partnership between EY and Liga Portugal has been developed over the past five years to stimulate the development and professionalization of Professional Football in Portugal. This industry’s evolution pace is increasingly pronounced and we can note the emergence of new realities and consumer profiles as a result of generational renewal of fans and the industry’s growing digitalization. Therefore, understanding the impact and performance of the industry and the ability to develop a perspective on its main challenges are more relevant than ever. In the 2020-21 season, Portuguese Professional Football directly contributed with over €550 million to the GDP, generating at least 3,729 jobs and over €192 million in taxes. The start of the competitions was delayed due to the pandemic and it happened at a moment when the rules imposed to combat COVID-19 were in full effect. This resulted in a substantial reduction in ticket revenue, imposing new challenges on the Sports Societies that saw a growing need to generate additional revenue sources. Even though the 2020-21 season was fully marked by the pandemic, there was revenue growth, which illustrates the resilience of this industry. Revenue from audiovisual rights continued to be an important source of revenue for Sports Societies. In this context, it is important to highlight the role of Liga Portugal, in 2021, in establishing the company that will be responsible for centralizing the television rights of Portuguese Professional Football as of the 2028-29 season. This new business model should promote the industry’s competitiveness through greater equity in the distribution of television revenue and the valorization of television rights compared to the current decentralized model. In addition to this topic, others of significant relevance to the future of the industry have also been identified, such as the internationalization of Portuguese Professional Football, digitalization, and the transformation of the fan experience, among others. As in past editions, we intend that the Yearbook represents an essential tool for analysis, contributing to the reflection process on the challenges, the professionalization process, and the sustainability of the industry and its stakeholders.