US Major Leagues and European Football Reign Supreme in Euromonitor's Sports Indices 2023

According to Euromonitor International’s Global League and Club Indices 2023, five major US leagues and five European football leagues dominate league rankings, with the National Football League (NFL) consistently holding its status as the most commercially attractive league globally. In the club ranking, football clubs from the five major European football leagues claim all top 10 spots with Manchester United retaining the top position.

Value of digital footprint and international presence only

The NFL has consistently outperformed its peers, across all team sports. This is particularly impressive given that the league relies heavily on the US market and has a limited reach compared to its closest competitors. In 2023, NFL’s social media following reached over 366 million. In comparison, the NBA and the Premier League, the other two leagues in the top three, boast followings of more than 880 million and one billion followers, respectively. Nevertheless, the NFL has been intensifying its global presence, organising the NFL International Series in the UK and Germany, and allowing its teams to directly access international territories for marketing, fan engagement and commercialisation. This will enable teams to build their global brands more effectively, at the same time driving NFL fan growth internationally.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the number one league from Asia Pacific and the only cricket league to crack the Index’s top 20

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The IPL’s social media footprint of over 245 million and the sheer size and younger age of the Indian population are strong contributors to its commercial attractiveness. As global interest in the IPL rises, the league is reaping its commercial benefits. The league has more than doubled the value of its broadcast deals for the 2023-2027 cycle, as reported, putting the IPL second to the NFL in terms of value per game.

Strong legacy and heritage help but sporting competitiveness cannot be overlooked

Manchester United, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona remain at the top of the Club Index in 2023. Their success is characterised by storied heritage, loyal fanbases and continued robust digital growth.

The top three clubs have the highest social media following globally, having accumulated over a billion followers between them

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Their massive and further expanding online fanbases ensure their resilience and growth, at the same time serving as a strong asset for partners and investors.

Manchester City is another club that has experienced strong digital growth recently and currently has over 154 million followers across key social media platforms. The club’s success on the pitch is a great example of how competitiveness needs to be nurtured to enhance fan engagement. In the 2022-23 season, Manchester City won the continental treble, involving winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and their first UEFA Champions League title. Although winning is not the sole narrative that fans are interested in, it significantly contributes to the club's legacy and resonates well on social media.

Commercial partnership trends to tackle with Sports Indices

The range of potential sponsors available to sports properties is growing, exemplified by the rapid rise of sports betting partnerships in the US. At the same time, there’s a new sponsorship inventory space opening up within major US leagues, providing new opportunities for both sports properties and brands. Nevertheless, sports properties globally continue to face growing pressure to retain and win sponsors, as companies are tightening their marketing budgets and placing greater scrutiny on how they measure return on investment.

In this challenging landscape, teams and leagues must be ready to showcase their value to potential sponsors, while benchmarking themselves against competitors. At the same time, for sponsors and investors, the need to equip themselves with benchmarking tools that use a data-driven approach to identify top performers across professional sports has never been more important.

The League and Club indices provide a well-defined and comparable view of 55 domestic leagues and over 900 clubs across nine team sports globally to benchmark their commercial appeal for sponsors and investors. The indices cover key areas such as exposure and engagement, performance and legacy, and broader macroeconomic and social indicators.

Have a more in-depth read on the value of sports sponsorships in our report, The Price of Sports Sponsorship.

Learn more about synergy between sports and betting brands in our report, Fan Engagement in Focus: Measuring the Impact of Sports Betting on the Industry.