Has football turned into a business?

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It’s no secret that football has turned into a business, looking to make a profit from the millions who support the sport. And with that it means big corporations investing in these businesses; but, at what cost? Should we as football fans be worried with the ticket prices increasing and richer clubs buying out every solid player in the league, which allows them to dominate year after year. Or are there positives to this as well?

The impact that money influx has on the game

Football has changed dramatically over the last few decades, and some of that is due to the increased wealth and power of players. Whereas once a player would have been happy with a house, a few cars and enough money to live comfortably, today’s footballers demand millions of pounds in wages.

This has had several impacts on the game:

  • It makes football less accessible for fans. If you’re not willing to spend £50 per match on tickets, snacks and drinks (or £100-plus if you’re travelling for an away game), then your chances of seeing live football are very small indeed.
  • It makes it more difficult for smaller clubs to compete in their leagues because they cannot afford top players who might attract more fans to stadiums and therefore increase revenue from ticket or jersey sales.
  • It makes football less competitive because it’s harder for teams without lots of money at their disposal to compete against those who do have loads of cash available. The winners keep winning and there are less upsets happening. This isn’t always the case as it can be seen on Football Accumulator Tips, but most of the time, it is. 

Major corporations investing in football clubs

One of the major changes that has occurred over the years is that most major clubs are owned by billionaires and have become business ventures. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich bought the club for £140m and it’s about to be sold for $5.2 billion. In 2019, the value of Premier League clubs rose up to by £14,7bn – more than any other league across Europe.

There has also been a huge Impact of sponsorship deals between clubs and large companies. In a footballing environment where clubs are often struggling to stay afloat, sponsorship deals are a way of making money. They can be a good thing, as they allow clubs to survive, but they can also be bad, as they lead to clubs being sold off to owners who don’t care about them and only want the club for its marketability.

The positive effects of the business side of football

It’s important to note that the business side of football has also helped to increase the popularity of the sport in countries that didn’t have a strong footballing history. For example, in China, where soccer was not considered an elite sport until recently, watching European leagues and players became popular due to their increasing exposure on television. This has led to more Chinese footballers being signed by foreign clubs and even a few Chinese players making it into professional leagues abroad.

With increased popularity comes increased revenue; money which can be used towards improving player contracts or facilities at home clubs as well as paying for better coaches who can train young players properly so they can develop into top class pros themselves one day!