Premier League

Premier

League

Economic and social impact

January 2019

Contents

Executive summary 2

The growth of the Premier League 4

The economic contribution 6

From local to global 10

Supporting the wider game 14

Community initiatives 18

Premier League Economic and social impact

Disclaimer

This Report was prepared by Ernst & Young LLP for The Football Association Premier League Limited (“Premier League”) using information provided by

the Premier League and other publicly available data.

Ernst & Young LLP does not accept or assume any responsibility in respect of the Report to any readers of the Report (Third Parties), other than the

Premier League. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ernst & Young LLP will accept no liability in respect of the Report to any Third Parties. Should any

Third Parties choose to rely on the Report, then they do so at their own risk.

Ernst & Young LLP has not been instructed by its client, Premier League, to respond to queries or requests for information from any Third Party and

Ernst & Young LLP shall not respond to such queries or requests for information. Further Ernst & Young LLP is not instructed by the Premier League to

update the Report for subsequent events or additional work (if any) performed by Ernst & Young LLP. Accordingly, without prejudice to the generality of

the foregoing, Ernst & Young LLP accepts no responsibility to any Third Party to update the Report for such matters.

Ernst & Young LLP reserves all rights in the Report.

This report explores the economic and

social contribution of the Premier League

and its Clubs to the UK. It is an independent

EY study, which has been commissioned

by the Premier League. The report focuses

largely on the 2016/17 season and includes

evidence of how the League’s impacts have

evolved over time.

The Premier League is the elite professional

league for English and Welsh football,

consisting of 20 Clubs and 1,500 registered

professional players.

Introduction

Premier League Economic and social impact

Since its inception in the

1992/93 season, the

Premier League and its

Clubs (the ‘League’) have

achieved considerable success,

establishing a strong global

reputation for high quality

and entertaining football.

This is evidenced by the

Premier League consistently

achieving the highest stadium

utilisation gures of any major

European League, along

with substantial growth in

broadcasting revenue.

2007/08

the last time the winning

club retained the title

the following season

96.5% stadium

utilisation — the highest

rate in Europe

520,000

season ticket holders

43m people

watched the Premier

League on TV in the UK

One billion homes globally had access to

Premier League coverage

Executive

summary

Premier League football

generates a wide

range of economic and

social returns

Premier League Economic and social impact

Unless otherwise stated, all statistics on both pages relate to 2016/17.

Gross Value Added (GVA) is a measure of economic activity which can be viewed as the incremental contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It therefore provides a

useful measure for understanding the economic contribution made by particular industries, or businesses, such as the Premier League and its Clubs.

Elite Player Performance Programme.

Delivered via the Football Foundation — gures correct to Oct 2018.

Compared to 20,925 primary schools across the UK in 2016/17, according to the British Education Suppliers Association: https://www.besa.org.uk/key-uk-education-

statistics/

Supporting the

wider game

Premier League support for the wider game extends across

the football pyramid and communities in England and

Wales, including all levels of the EFL and into non-League

and community football. Parachute or solidarity payments

(linked to Premier League broadcast revenues) go to all 72

EFL clubs, as well as further funding for their Academies.

The Premier League supports the Football Foundation to

build community football facilities and the Football Stadia

Improvement Fund which issues grants to clubs down to

lower levels of the FA National League System.

Community initiatives

The Premier League delivers and supports a wide

range of community programmes that aim to promote

improvements in schools and communities through sport

and education.

Funding for these programmes has risen substantially as

the League has realised greater success. This has provided

life-changing opportunities to thousands of individuals.

In 2016/17 alone, over 500,000 young people took part in

Premier League funded programmes. Community football

facilities delivered via the Football Foundation also saw

over one million people participate regularly.

£350m

Financial support

provided to the

wider football

pyramid

15,442

Primary schools

engaged in

2017/18

through

Premier League

Primary Stars

Economic benets

The Premier League and its Clubs generate impacts in a variety

of ways. This ranges from the people they employ to the

community work they undertake, as well as the tourism activity

they encourage and platforms they provide to towns, cities and

business to engage with the rest of the world.

£3.3bn

Taxes paid

100,000

Jobs supported

£7.6bn

GVA impact

From local to global

The Premier League is a globally recognised brand, built upon

high quality football. The League’s global success feeds into

its capacity to generate economic and social returns within

the UK.

The strength of the Premier League broadcast offering,

which is based on a committed global fanbase, is key to its

success. In turn, the Premier League has become an active

member of the global community, presenting political and

commercial opportunities for the UK.

£1.1bn

Broadcast

exports 2016

686,000

International

visitors

150+

Football clubs

supported to

deliver community

programmes

747

Academies across

the football pyramid

are supported by

the League’s EPPP

Articial grass

pitches built for

community football

to date

Premier League Economic and social impact

All Premier League Clubs enhancing

accessibility for disabled people

3,752 community pitches

funded since 2000

£2.8bn broadcast revenues

protable Clubs in 2016/17

The growth of the

Premier League

Football is of considerable social, cultural and economic signicance

to the UK — football has often been seen as a ‘universal language’

which has the ability to inspire and engage communities. During the

football season, hundreds of thousands of fans travel the country

to follow their team whilst millions more watch live games and

highlights on television and, increasingly, online.

At the pinnacle of the English football pyramid, the activities of the

Premier League affect all aspects of the game; from supporting the

ability of Premier League teams to compete with the best in Europe,

to encouraging participation in school and community football.

Premier League success is part of a cycle of growth

Delivering high quality football is crucial to the success of the League and is at the core of its activities. This drives engagement with fans,

and therefore supports commercial performance. In turn, this allows the League to invest in the future of the game to ensure competitive

and engaging football is delivered to fans for years to come. The cycle of growth (below) summarises this process using data examples

from this report.

Delivering a vibrant and

engaging competition that

resonates with fans

Supporting wider

football, communities

and society

Investing in stadia,

facilities and future

footballing talent

Converting interest into

commercial success and

sustainable growth

97% stadium utilisation

1.3bn fans globally

1.6:1 distribution ratio

for central revenues

150+ Community organisations

supported across the Premier

League, EFL and National League.

The highest-earning Club received 1.6 times the amount received by the lowest-earning Club in 2016/17. In 2018 this ratio was xed at 1.8:1. Compared to a ratio of 3.7:1 in

La Liga and 3.2:1 in the Bundesliga.

Premier League Economic and social impact

Full stadiums, engaged fans and world-class talent

Since its inception in the 1992/93 season, the Premier League has achieved considerable success and is now widely regarded as the

most popular football league in the world.

During the 25 seasons since it was formed, 49 different clubs have

participated in the Premier League, with six different Clubs being

crowned champions. Premier League stadiums have the highest

utilisation rates of the major European football leagues (expressed

as the percentage sold of the overall available tickets).

In 2016/17, Premier League grounds operated at close to full

capacity with a new record average utilisation across 380 matches

of 96.5%, compared to 93.3% in the Bundesliga (from 306

matches).

Premier League ticketing

Premier League Clubs have taken a range of steps to reward

loyal fans and promote the match day experience to fans of all

ages. This ensures that Clubs have an engaged, sustainable

fan base who generate the match day atmosphere.

Clubs make tickets available at different price points and offer

a variety of discounts, including loyalty reward schemes and

age-based concessions. In addition, many Clubs opt to freeze

their ticket prices from season to season. The system of

discounts means that more than half of attending supporters

pay less than the full listed price.

In 2018/19, the average (mean) price paid for a ticket across

all Premier League Clubs is £31 per match (including season

tickets calculated at a per match price); a quarter of fans pay

£20 or less. For junior ticket holders, the average cost is £12

per match. For away fans specically, the League has placed a

£30 cap on away ticket prices in recognition of their loyalty; a

three-season agreement in place since 2016/17. The average

away ticket price is £28 in 2018/19.

£31

Average ticket

price

£12

Average junior

ticket price

Average per match

attendances

Average

capacity

Utilisation

90 100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

Premier

League

Bundesliga La Liga Ligue 1 Serie A

Average/capacity (000s)

Utilisation (%)

Stadium utilisation of major European leagues, 2016/17

96.5%

93.3%

71.6%

64.5%

54.4%

The League regularly has more players represented in

international tournaments than any other league; for example,

at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 108 of the 736 players selected

by the competing national teams were Premier League players,

38% more than from La Liga. The four nations in the semi-nals of

the competition were all European and 39 of the 91 players were

from Premier League Clubs (including 23 from the England team).

Source: Premier League

Source: Premier League, EY analysis

Source: Various

Domestic football leagues with the most players at the

2018 FIFA World Cup

Premier League

(England)

La Liga

(Spain)

Bundesliga

(Germany)

Serie A

(Italy)

Ligue 1

(France)

108

800,000

Total seating

capacity

520,000

Season tickets

26%

Of tickets

purchased at

£20 or less

Premier League Economic and social impact

The Premier League’s

economic contribution

The popularity of Premier League football drives substantial

economic activity across the UK. This is supported by the commercial

relationships and supply chains that underpin the League, the visitor

economy it sustains and the scal contributions it makes. This

section explores this contribution, including the economic returns

generated at the national and regional level.

Drivers of impact

Club and Premier League operations

contribute to economic activity across

the UK.

The chart opposite highlights some of

the key statistics which feed into the

economic impact analysis.

These interactions between the

League and the wider economy

drive considerable economic

activity. These can be captured

through direct impacts, which

take place within the League

itself (such as Club employment),

indirect impacts, through the

League’s supply chains, and

induced impacts, which are

driven by the employment income

supported by the League and its

supply chain.

£2.8bn

Central

broadcast

revenue

686,000

international

visitor trips

£555m

international

visitor spending

811,000

Domestic (away

fans) visitor

journeys

£1.1bn

tax contributions

from players

12,400

FTE direct

employees of the

Clubs

£1.7bn

spent in League

supply chains

£1.5bn

Commercial &

other revenues

£614m

Premier League

matchday

revenues

Delivering

Premier League

football

EY gures: based on analysis of Premier League information, UK national accounts data and various other sources.

Clubs have made continued investment in their stadium facilities. This ranges from

entirely new facilities to upgrades — including new stands, refurbishments and improved

accessibility and facilities for disabled people. Stadium development represents a

substantial programme of private-sector capital investment.

Premier League Economic and social impact

£3.3 billion generated in tax revenues

The economic activity stimulated by the League resulted in an

estimated £3.3 billion total contribution to the Exchequer in

2016/17. This represents a 50% increase since 2013/14. Of the

total contribution, £2.1 billion was a direct impact of the League

itself, with the remainder raised through activity supported

indirectly by the League.

This £3.3 billion is a substantial contribution to the UK’s public

nances. Based on current estimates of hiring and recruitment

costs, this is equivalent to the annual salaries of over 86,000

police constables or would fund the training of more than 42,000

new NHS nurses.

8,9

The diagram opposite illustrates how this tax contribution is

broken down between major tax revenue sources. Players

themselves accounted for a sizeable proportion of the League’s

tax contribution. In total, players are estimated to support a tax

contribution of £1.1 billion, or 34% of the 2016/17 total; the

vast majority of this contribution was made through players’

income-related taxes, which consist of income tax and national

insurance contributions.

Net VAT payments make up the next largest tax revenue channel,

supported to a large extent by the VAT-applicable revenues of

Clubs, including that applied to broadcast rights agreements.

Total scal impact of the League, 2016/17, £ billions

Overview of impact measurement

Impact drivers Direct impacts Indirect impacts Induced impacts

► Match day revenue

► Commercial revenue

► Investment

► Operational spending

► Community activity

► Prot/GVA

► Employees/players

► Tax contributions

► Commercial income from

broadcasters and sponsors

► Investment

► Operational spending

► Community activity

► GVA

► Employees

► Tax contributions

Premier

League

Clubs

Premier

League

Considers the

economic activity

generated through

relevant supply

chains as a result of

the direct impacts

(e.g. construction

industry, hospitality

sector).

The economic

activity that is

supported by

increased spending

throughout the

economy, facilitated

by direct and

indirect employment

impacts.

Experienced Police constable salary of £38,533 taken from Prospects: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-proles/police-ofcer.

Nursing training costs of £78,000 per nurse taken from Department of Health (2016). Managing the supply of NHS clinical staff in England.

Player tax contributions include PAYE income tax and national insurance contributions and VAT, but exclude those paid on other earnings, such as image

rights. These calculations are based on average player salaries.

0.7

0.2

NICs Other

3.3

1.3

1.2

Total

Income

Tax

VAT

Premier League players paid

£1.1 billion

in taxes in 2016/17

Source: EY analysis

Numbers do not sum due to rounding

Premier League Economic and social impact

Clubs’ economic impact has risen

800% since 1998/99

The Premier League’s positive nancial performance has

led to an increased contribution from the League to the UK

economy. The GVA impact from the Clubs has grown from

£0.7 billion in 1998/99, to £7.2 billion by 2016/17 — an increase

of over 800% in cash terms, at a compound average annual

growth rate of 13%.

The increase in revenues has resulted in signicant growth

in employment supported by the Clubs (excluding the central

activities of the Premier League itself). This is illustrated by

the number of FTEs rising from 11,300 in 1998/99 to almost

90,300 in 2016/17, a rise of 700%. Meanwhile the total tax

contribution underpinned by the Clubs has increased by £2.8

billion over the same period, rising by 700% in cash terms.

100

1998/99

GVA and tax, £bn

FTEs, 000s

2007/08 2013/14 2016/17

GVA Tax Employment

Source: EY analysis

£7.6 billion contribution to UK GDP

The League’s contribution to UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

can be estimated through the Gross Value Added (GVA) it

generates.

In 2016/17 this reached £7.6 billion, with the majority

(£7.2 billion) resulting from Clubs’ operations. This represents a

50% increase since 2013/14.

The chart opposite illustrates how

this GVA contribution is generated through direct, indirect and

induced impacts.

In 2016/17, the League directly contributed a total of £4.3

billion in GVA to the UK economy, representing 57% of the total

GVA impact. A further £3.2 billion was generated via indirect

(£1.4 billion) and induced (£1.8 billion) impacts. A substantial level

of economic activity is therefore supported through the supply

chains of the League, as other businesses contribute to, and share

in the success of Premier League football.

Total GVA impact of the League, 2016/17, £ billions

Close to 100,000 UK jobs supported

The activity of the League supported almost 100,000 full-time

equivalent (FTE) jobs across the UK in 2016/17. This represents

a 30% increase since 2013/14. The majority of these jobs were

underpinned by the League’s substantial supply chains, which

accounted for 87,000 jobs both through indirect (52,000) and

induced (35,000) impacts. Of the total employment impact,

90,300 was supported by Clubs, with the remainder supported

by the Premier League (8,800).

Total employment impact of the League, 2016/17, FTE jobs

Total Direct Indirect Induced

100

FTEs, 000s

Source: EY analysis

Gross Value Added (GVA) is a measure of economic activity which can be viewed as the incremental contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It therefore provides a

useful measure for understanding the economic contribution made by particular industries, or businesses, such as the Premier League and its Clubs.

Note that improvements in the understanding of Premier League supply chains has produced revised economic impact estimates for 2013/14. Previously the GVA and

employment impacts were estimated at £3.3bn (revised to £4.7bn) and 95,000 (revised to 71,000).

Changes over time are presented in cash terms. For comparison, ONS data suggest that nominal GDP growth in the UK increased by 98% between 1999 and 2017 and by

11% between 2014 and 2017.

7.6

4.3

1.4

1.8

Total

Direct Indirect Induced

Numbers do not sum due to rounding

Source: EY analysis

Premier League Economic and social impact

The greatest impact is felt within London, where a total GVA

impact of £2.3 billion and an employment impact of 27,000 FTEs

were underpinned by the activities of the Premier League and the

ve London Clubs (Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham

Hotspur and West Ham United).

The next largest impact was generated in the North West (Burnley,

Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United),

with £2.0 billion GVA and 20,000 FTEs. A large proportion

of the impact in the North West is felt in Greater Manchester

(Manchester City and Manchester United), which accounted for

£1.2 billion in GVA and employment of 11,500 FTEs. The Midlands

(Leicester City, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion) and the

South Coast (Bournemouth and Southampton) generated GVA of

£0.6 billion and £0.4 billion respectively.

Employment impact of Premier League football, selected

regions, FTE thousands, 2016/17

London

0.5%

North

West

Midlands

Greater

Manchester:

11,500 (0.9%)

Share of regional economy

South

Coast

0.6%

0.1%

Source: EY analysis

GVA contribution of Premier League football,

selected regions, £ billions, 2016/17

London

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5

0.5%

North

West

Midlands

Greater

Manchester:

£1.2bn (1.8%)

South

Coast

1.2%

0.2%

0.1%

Source: EY analysis

Substantial local contributions

The economic activity supported by the League is

distributed across much of England and Wales, due

to the geographical spread of Premier League Clubs.

Since its inception, 49 different teams have competed

in the Premier League and in 2016/17 each of the major

regions of England and Wales had at least one Premier

League Club.

Regional distribution of Premier League Clubs, 2016/17

Share of regional economy

“ The Manchester Clubs are one of, if not our most signicant brand ambassadors and

therefore a vital element of city promotion as we look to create positive perceptions

of Manchester as a place to live, study, visit and invest.”

Tim Newns, CEO, MIDAS (Manchester’s inward investment agency)

Premier League Economic and social impact

From local to global

The Premier League is a globally

recognised brand, built upon high

quality football. The League’s success

at the global level enables it to generate

local economic and social returns

within the UK.

The strength of the Premier League’s

broadcast proposition is key to its global

success, which is reinforced by effective

engagement with fans across the

world. In turn, the Premier League has

become an active member of the global

community, presenting political and

economic opportunities for the UK.

£1.1 billion in annual broadcast exports

The value of a sports competition’s broadcast rights outside

of its domestic market provides the most tangible measure of

its international appeal. It reects the attractiveness of the

competition to broadcasters, based on the number and prole of

viewers who are interested in the competition, their willingness to

pay to watch it, and the value that advertisers, broadcast sponsors

and partners place on being associated with it.

In 2016/17, Premier League international revenues were higher

than the combined total of the other four major European

leagues, despite a 160% increase for La Liga in its latest

broadcast cycle. Furthermore, based on available evidence, in

2016/2017 Premier League overseas rights were estimated to

be substantially higher than all major North American sports

leagues — in total, they were more than twice the combined

value of the broadcast exports of the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL

(excluding Canada). In the UK, Premier League broadcast exports

are around 10 times the equivalent combined total for cricket,

rugby and tennis.

Overseas rights of major sports leagues, 2016/17, £ billions

Source: Premier League analysis estimates

of the 736 players

at the 2018 FIFA

World Cup from the

Premier League

108

Value of

broadcast rights

exports 2016/17

£1.1bn

The Premier League’s broadcasting exports represent a substantial proportion of the UK’s total TV exports. In 2016/17 alone, the

League accounted for broadcast exports of £1.1 billion, surpassing the £0.9 billion achieved in exports of other UK television productions

in 2016/17, as measured by PACT (more than the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and the independent sector combined). To

support such broadcasting exports, the Premier League invests in Premier League Productions (PLP) to distribute and create content for

international rights holders (see case study on the following page).

Populus research in 2018 covering 20 markets saw the Premier League top their British Icon Index, with Rolls Royce second and Jaguar Land Rover third.

Premier

League

North

American

sports

Bundesliga, La

Liga, Ligue 1,

Serie A

(combined)

UK sports

Ranked rst

in the Populus

British Icon Index

2017/18

commercial

partnerships

£1.5bn

1.1

0.9

0.4

0.1

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

Premier League Economic and social impact

Premier League Productions

Premier League Productions (PLP) is a partnership between

the Premier League and IMG (a global sports, events and talent

management company). Based in West London’s Stockley Park,

PLP’s primary objective is to distribute match content to the

Premier League’s 120 international broadcasters. It also creates

original Premier League TV content.

PLP is home to the largest single football production, distribution

and service team in UK broadcasting, employing 242 people. It

is also one of the most advanced and highly-connected television

hubs in Europe, with IMG having invested £50 million in a technical

t-out of the studios. This facility enables the Premier League to

offer a high-quality service to its broadcasters.

The studio distributes all 380 Premier League matches each

season globally, using the match footage provided by UK

broadcasters Sky Sports, BT Sport and the BBC. It also produces

a variety of other programming, including a daily magazine

programme and a phone-in show. In total, PLP produces 3,950

hours’ or 165 days’ worth of unique content each season.

Individual broadcasters are able to tailor the service that they

receive, choosing between the ‘world feed’ (only the match action),

commentary and half-time analysis, or alternatively coming to the

UK to present from pitch-side.

The PLP broadcasting service allows broadcasters to showcase

Premier League football globally by supplying innovative content

which is underpinned by a high quality, reliable service. This

supports the Premier League’s signicant overseas broadcast

rights earnings and makes a positive contribution to production

standards within the sports market.

Intellectual property protection

Online piracy has become increasingly prevalent over time as

technology has changed the way in which we live. Increased

internet speeds, technological advancements in both hardware

and software, and a legal process which nds it difcult to keep

up with the speed of the problem, have resulted in the ability to

stream illegal audio-visual content in real time with relative ease.

This is not just an issue facing football, but all producers of

creative content and owners of intellectual property. In an

increasingly globalised economy, companies and individuals

trying to protect their original ideas and creations face complex

challenges. Overcoming these challenges is a key part of ensuring

that the UK, and the rest of the world, has the right incentives in

place to reward innovation and entrepreneurial activity.

Illegal Streaming Devices (ISDs) in particular have made piracy

easier and the Premier League was responsible for the rst

successful sentencing of an ISD supplier in 2016. In 2017, the

Premier League was awarded a High Court Blocking Order

which requires UK Internet Service Providers to block servers

that are hosting illegal streams of its matches. This was the

rst of its kind in the world. Such precedents are helping

creative sectors to better protect their content and ensure

creators are rewarded fairly for their work.

The Premier League has operated its anti-piracy programme since

2006 and has invested in market-leading solutions for detection

and verication of infringements. It has adopted a wide-ranging

enforcement strategy which has put the League at the forefront of

the global ght against piracy.

Enabling success

Premier League Economic and social impact

Engaging with a global fan base

Premier League Clubs have an increasingly international fan base,

as technological advancements allow fans around the world to

feel closer to Clubs and players than ever before. TV coverage of

the League can be viewed in every corner of the world and is now

widely available online.

Social media has allowed the Premier League and its Clubs to

connect with fans in new ways, with content available in a variety

of languages. In 2016/17, 16 Premier League Clubs recorded

over one million interactions on Facebook (e.g. likes, comments,

shares), compared to only ve clubs in LaLiga.

During pre-season, Clubs take the opportunity to tour other

countries to engage with their international fans. The Premier

League also hosts accessible fan events, including trophy tours,

fan parks and pre-season tournaments, to bring the Premier

League experience to fans around the world. In 2016/17 clubs

visited 18 overseas markets during pre-season tours.

Premier League and Nike

Partnerships between the Premier League and its Clubs

and major sports brands generate economic activity both

in the UK and overseas. Specialised sports retailers alone

employ around 86,000 people in the UK, even before

accounting for the marketing activity and supply chain that

supports this activity.

Nike’s partnership with the Premier League is among the

brand’s longest running business relationships. Nike has

been the Ofcial Ball Supplier to the Premier League since

the 2000/01 season and will remain so until at least 2025.

Nike has a strong global presence, turning over $36 billion

in sales, annually. This helps raise the prole of both the

Premier League and Nike brands. For example, Nike’s ofcial

Premier League football can be purchased in each of the 188

countries in which the Premier League is broadcast.

nationalities

represented on the

pitch

social media

followers

350m

Fantasy Premier

League managers

outside the UK

countries receive

Premier League

football broadcasts

188

Note: All gures in the graphics above refer to 2016/17.

Premier League Economic and social impact

An active member of the global community

The Premier League undertakes a considerable amount of work internationally, focussing on developing partnerships with football

stakeholders and government organisations. This work supports the global development of football and promotes the Premier League as a

force for good and a valuable ‘soft power’ asset. As noted in Portland’s Soft Power 30 Report, the UK claimed top spot in large part due to

the strength of its cultural institutions, including the Premier League, which it states ‘is clearly a boon for British soft power’.

“ The Premier League is more than one of the world's greatest sporting

competitions. It is a hugely successful British brand and export that

helps to promote this country and our values around the globe.”

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Premier Skills

Premier Skills is a longstanding programme with the British

Council, delivered by Premier League Club coaches, to build

coaching and referee expertise. Since its launch in 2007, over

20,000 coaches have been trained in 29 countries, who have

in turn reached more than 1.5 million young people.

Business and government networks

The Premier League helps facilitate and channel

partnerships between the Clubs, private sector organisations

and UK and local government organisations. It also supports

UK Government initiatives to develop trade and investment

opportunities for the UK.

Mutual Cooperation Agreements

Through Mutual Cooperation Agreements, the Premier

League shares best practice on its operations and

development with foreign leagues and clubs through study

visits, conferences and workshops to help improve local

standards in all areas of the game. Agreements are in place

with organisations such as the Asian Football Confederation,

Indian Super League and Chinese Super League.

Premier League Economic and social impact

Supporting the wider game

The Premier League aims to promote the continuing development of

football by supporting the sport at all levels. This includes a model

which ensures that clubs across the football pyramid share in the

League’s success and are able to invest in talent and infrastructure.

The Premier League’s commitment to support the wider game extends across the football

pyramid and communities in England and Wales. This includes all levels of the English

Football League (EFL), the National League, Regional Leagues and community football.

The men’s football pyramid (illustrated below) shows the interconnected league system

with promotion and relegation between different levels.

Parachute payments or solidarity payments (linked to Premier League broadcast

revenues) go to all 72 EFL clubs, plus further funding to support sustainable Academies.

The Premier League has funded the Football Foundation to develop community

football facilities since 2000. The League is also the sole funder of the Football Stadia

Improvement Fund, which issues capital grants to clubs from the EFL down to the lower

levels of the FA National League System.

Signicant support is also given to fan initiatives/campaign groups and, via the Premier

League Charitable Fund, clubs across the Premier League, EFL and National League are

supported to deliver programmes in schools and communities.

► Various regional leagues

► Consists of tier 7 and

below

20 Clubs

24 Clubs

per league

24 Clubs

per league

22 Clubs per league

English Football Pyramid

£96.6 million in solidarity

payments for the ve tiers

below the Premier League, with

£94.7m to 64 English Football

League (EFL) clubs.

£219.1 million in total parachute

payments distributed across eight

clubs within the Championship.

£39.6 million in Premier League

Academy funding to support player

development.

Premier

League

EFL

Championship

EFL

League One

EFL

League Two

National League

North

National League

South

Regional Leagues

Premier League Economic and social impact

Investment in player development — delivering home-grown talent

In 2012 the Premier League launched the Elite Player

Performance Plan (EPPP), a revamp of elite player development

that has seen signicant investment from clubs in their Academies.

The main aim of the EPPP is to develop better home-grown players

and over the last six years the clubs and the League have invested

over £800m to enhance facilities, raise coaching provision and

quality and introduce higher standards of education and welfare.

The Premier League is the main contributor of grant funding

for Academies at clubs in the Premier League and EFL — which

totalled £66.3 million in 2016/17. The League provided

£39.6 million of funding from a variety of sources, including

through the transfer fee levy.

Increased investment has led to a major increase in the number

of full-time coaches working in academies since 2012 (from 250

to around 800 today), with PL support seeing 80 Elite Heads of

Coaching employed across the PL and EFL. Age-specialist coaches

have also been introduced, with a focus on greater access time for

players to play and be coached. An extensive games programme

has seen matches double to over 10,000 per season.

An early sign of EPPP success was the England age groups’

‘2017 Summer of Success’. England became the rst nation

in history to win three age group titles in the same year: the

under-17 and under-20 FIFA World Cups, and the under-19 UEFA

European Championship. English players were voted ‘player of the

tournament’ in all three competitions:

►  Phil Foden at the U-17 World Cup who appeared 10 times

for Premier League champions Manchester City during the

2017/18 season

►  Dominic Solanke at the U-20 World Cup who subsequently

made 21 Premier League appearances for Liverpool in

2017/18

►  Mason Mount at the U-19 European Championship who scored

14 goals in 39 appearances and was voted player of the season

whilst on loan from Chelsea at Dutch club Vitesse in 2017/18

In 2017, a total of 250 players graduated through the professional

development phase of the youth academy system. Over 85% of

academy graduates went on to be involved in the sport through

professional football, semi-professional football, wider trials or

scholarships abroad.

The positive results for the younger age England teams were

followed up in 2018 with the men’s senior team reaching the semi-

nals of the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

England winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2017

Premier League Economic and social impact

Football Stadia Improvement Fund

The Premier League is the sole funder of The Football

Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), which provides nancial

support to football clubs’ ground improvement projects. With

an annual budget of £6.5 million, the FSIF awards capital

grants to clubs across England and Wales, from the EFL

down to the lower levels of the FA National League System.

Examples of projects include the construction of new stands,

installation of oodlights, turnstiles, provision for disabled

supporters, safety improvements or even relocating to an

entirely new ground. In 12 months, over 105 non-league

grounds were upgraded with FSIF grants.

Premier League Fans Fund

The Premier League Fans Fund is a commitment from the

Premier League to fund projects and organisations which

improve the relationship between fans and their clubs, the

way football supporters engage with each other and fans’

experience of the game.

In addition to a small grants scheme, the Premier League

Fans Fund provides funding for the core operational costs of

organisations including:

► Kick it Out: football’s equality and inclusion organisation.

In addition to funding, the Premier League works with the

organisation to deliver inclusion and anti-discrimination

programmes in professional and community football.

► Level Playing Field: an organisation working to support

and advocate for disabled sports fans so that all fans

have an equal experience.

► Football Supporters’ Federation and

Supporters Direct: two of football’s largest national fan

groups. The groups are merging in 2018/19 to form a

unied body.

Stonewall case study

The Premier League’s partnership with Stonewall aims to

improve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)

inclusion in football.

The partnership covers all elements of football — on and off

the pitch — from education for players and Club staff to the

Rainbow Laces campaign and work on public policy around hate

crime. As part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, two rounds of

Premier League matches feature rainbow-coloured captain’s

armbands, laces, ball plinths, pitch ags, perimeter advertising

and handshake boards.

The Premier League has also joined Stonewall’s Global

Diversity Champions programme, becoming one of 750

organisations that work to improve the lives of the LGBT

community in the UK and abroad.

“ The Premier League have stepped up and demonstrated how

committed they are to helping make football inclusive and

welcoming of LGBT people.”

Ruth Hunt, Chief Executive of Stonewall

Premier League Economic and social impact

Support for the FA and EFL Cups

Premier League Clubs participate in a number of football

tournaments outside of the Premier League. Domestically this

includes The FA Cup (currently The Emirates FA Cup) and EFL Cup

(currently the Carabao Cup), which generate signicant value to

all clubs participating (Premier League and non-Premier League

alike), including:

► Extra ticket revenues, divided between home and away clubs

► Broadcast revenues

► Prize money based upon progression through the tournament

In both the EFL and FA cups, the home and away teams each

receive at least 40% of the net gate receipts which can be

substantial revenues for clubs outside of the Premier League.

The broadcast rights values associated with the EFL Cup and The

FA Cup have risen substantially over the last decade. The cup

competitions are the main draw for broadcasters purchasing the

organisations’ rights and the participation of Premier League

Clubs in the cups is a key factor in this.

Plymouth and the Premier League

This case study gives an example of the ways in which lower

league clubs across the country and their surrounding

communities, benet from Premier League investment on an

annual basis.

In 2016/17 Plymouth Argyle were competing in EFL League 2.

The club and its surrounding community received a wide range

of support from the Premier League, including solidarity

payments’ of £430,000.

The Premier League also supported the clubs academy

through a grant of £340,000 and the Argyle Community

Trust received £250,000 in funding from the Premier League

Charitable Fund. The total funding to the club, including to its

Academy and community operations, came to over £1 million

in 2016/17.

In addition to this, through the Football Foundation and

Premier League Fans Fund (part of the FSIF), the Premier

League provided further grants totalling £860,000 to develop

facilities and support communities, football clubs and schools

in and around Plymouth.

Following Plymouth Argyle’s promotion to League 1, funding

for the 2017/18 season had increased to £690,000 in

solidarity payments and an Academy grant of £380,000 — a

combined increase of £300,000.

Source: Premier League

Argyle Community Trust Engage 350 participants in

PL Girls Football

Premier League Economic and social impact

Community initiatives

Charitable and community-focused activities have become a

signicant part of the Premier League. The League now supports

a range of initiatives aimed at improving sports participation,

physical and mental health, educational attainment, employment

opportunities and community cohesion.

The scale of community provision and support undertaken by the Premier League and

Clubs has grown signicantly, correlating with the League’s broader success. For instance,

the number of community staff employed by Premier League Clubs grew from 440 in

2007 to 2,150 in 2016. In addition, the League not only supports the 20 Premier League

Clubs, but also all 72 English Football League and 68 National League clubs to deliver

community programmes, which gives geographical reach across England and Wales.

Through these initiatives over 500,000 young people participated in Premier League

funded projects in 2016/17, of which 38% were female and 26% were BAME. In 2016/17 a

new national programme was also launched to help engage disabled participants in sport,

with 27,000 individuals taking part to date.

150+ football clubs in England and Wales supported to deliver community programmes

2016/17 engaging over 500,000 participants

Premier League Primary Stars

The Premier League engages with schools across the country to deliver programmes

targeted at improving the educational attainment and skills of children and young people.

Ofcially launched in April 2017, Premier League Primary Stars aims to inspire children to

learn, be active and develop important life skills. Within 12 months, the programme had

engaged with 15,442 primary schools in England and Wales, exceeding the League’s three-

year target of 10,000 schools.

Free curriculum-linked teaching resources for PE, PSHE, English and Maths are provided

for teachers and use the appeal of the Premier League and its Clubs to engage pupils in the

classroom, playground and at home. A range of popular national competitions also form

part of the programme. This includes the Primary Stars Football Tournament, which saw

1,600 school teams from across England & Wales take part in 2017/18, and the Writing

Stars poetry writing competition, which received 25,000 entries.

The programme also provides free football kit and equipment with £2 million worth of kit

and equipment packs awarded to 3,663 schools across England and Wales in 2016/17. Half

of these packs went to schools in the 20% most deprived communities in the UK.

15,442

primary schools

engaged

2017/18

101

Clubs deliver

sessions in

schools

8,732

free kit and

equipment packs

given to schools

by April 2018

Premier League Economic and social impact

Premier League Kicks

The Premier League supports a range of programmes which

encourage young people to play football, and other sports,

and develop life skills to set them up for future success. One of

the most established is Premier League Kicks, which started

in 2006 with four clubs, using the power of football to help

hard-to-reach youngsters in some of the most disadvantaged

areas of the country. Over ten years of Premier League

investment has seen the programme grow to become a pillar of

the Premier League’s community work, with 69 football clubs

supported to deliver the programme in hundreds of venues

across the country.

800+

venues, with two-thirds

located in the top 30% most

deprived communities

Clubs

delivering the

programme

Delivering community facilities

In 2000 the Premier League was a founding partner in establishing

the Football Foundation. The Premier League is committed to

supporting investment in facilities across the football pyramid.

As the largest sporting charity in the UK, the Football Foundation

aims to improve the grassroots sports infrastructure each year

with money provided by its funding partners: the Premier League,

The FA and the Government (via Sport England).

Over one million people regularly participate on community

football facilities delivered via the Football Foundation.

In 2018, the Football Foundation’s activities had resulted in:

The funding for the construction and renovation of facilities is

spread widely across England including areas without a Premier

League Club. For example, in 2016/17, Lincolnshire received 11

grants worth a combined £406,142 for facilities (partly funded by

the Premier League, along with the county and The FA).

Since its formation in 2000, the Football Foundation has seen

funding into community football projects across the country,

including those summarised above, exceed £1.5 billion in total worth.

Close to 70,000 young people participate in Premier League

Kicks per annum, including just under 12,500 females.

To add to this, the Premier League support 88 professional

clubs to deliver specic girls football sessions at hundreds

more venues — this sees approximately 23,000 more girls

take part each year. By engaging hard-to-reach young people

in constructive activities, authorities have also reported

signicant reductions in anti-social behaviour in the areas in

which Premier League Kicks is delivered.

the completion of 747

articial grass pitches

the creation of

1,024

changing rooms

the development of

3,005

real grass pitches

over

2,050 grants for

stadia improvement funds

Football Foundation projects

exceed

£1.5 billion in total worth.

Premier League Economic and social impact

Contacts

Mark Gregory

Chief Economist, UK&I

Direct dial: + 44 20 7951 5890

Email: [email protected].com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markgregoryuk/

detail/recent-activity/posts/

Peter Arnold

Partner, Economic Advisory

Direct dial: + 44 20 7951 5587

Email: [email protected]y.com

Colin Edwards

Assistant Director, Economic Advisory

Direct dial: + 44 20 7760 9469

Email: cedwards2@uk.ey.com

The Sports Industry Group

The EY Sport Industry Group delivers rigour,

measures impact and unlocks potential for our

clients across the business of sport.

The UK team consists of more than 30 professional

advisers, works with clubs, leagues, governing

bodies and major event organisers as well as

investors, commercial rights holders, sponsors and

start-ups to help them with all their business needs.

For further details please contact the team below:

EY | Assurance | Tax | Transactions | Advisory

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