The Club Index 2021: How the Sports Industry is Emerging from the Pandemic

Delivery

This report comes in PPT.

Key Findings

European football clubs reign supreme in the Club Index top 10

Football powerhouses from Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga continue to top the Club Index ranking during the pandemic. Six Premier League clubs make it into the top 10 ranking with Manchester United remaining in the lead position illustrating its storied legacy and massive following both locally and internationally. Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea manage to improve their positions proving their resilience throughout the pandemic.

Strong performance across key metrics sees nine US teams ranked in the top 20

Dallas Cowboys is the flag bearer for US teams being the only team from North America within index top 10 clubs. Another eight US teams from NFL, NBA and MLB are ranked among 11-20 clubs. NFL and NBA teams ensure high exposure to their sponsors during 2019-20/20 seasons, while New York Yankees loses its spot among the top 10 as the pandemic cancels MLB’s global games and shortens its 2020 season.

Japanese baseball teams top ranking in Asia Pacific and Australasia, while football clubs are leaders in Latin America

Five teams from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league, spearheaded by Yomiuri Giants, lead the Asia Pacific and Australasia regional ranking. NPB teams boast strong local popularity and get an additional boost from Japan’s solid economic performance and digitally-savvy population. Latin America’s ranking is led by football teams from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, boasting both loyal fanbases and solid social media following.

Playing in front of fans still matters while digital following only grows in importance

Clubs that had high exposure to live audiences as well as invested in expanding digital presence have strengthened their resilience and commercial viability during the pandemic at the same time retaining or improving their index positions as a result. While playing in front of live audiences was subject to governmental regulations, social media, especially TikTok, was utilised effectively by clubs seeking to retain and expand the engagagement with fans.