How much money does the UEFA Champions League final generate?

The UEFA Champions League is undoubtedly one of the most important and relevant sporting events in the world. Every year, the best teams in Europe compete in this tournament in search of the most prestigious club title. The excitement and passion generated by this tournament is unparalleled, and its impact transcends beyond the sporting arena.

Table of contents

1. The relevance of the event worldwide

2. Organizational expenses

3. The new Champions League format

4. The venue and the financial reward of the 2024/2025 edition

5. Summary table

The relevance of the event worldwide

In addition to being watched by millions of fans around the world, the Champions League also represents a significant economic significant economic opportunity for participating teams.

Throughout the season, teams have the opportunity to earn significant revenues through prizes, sponsorships and television rights. These revenues benefit not only the clubs, but also the cities and countries that host the matches.

In this sense, the importance of the competition over the course of the season is marked by the consistency of spectators. consistency in the number of spectators at each of the matches. Taking data from the 2022/2023 season, all the teams that started the group stage generated an average of 49,458 spectators at each match. average of 49,458 spectators6,132,745 taking into account the group stage and the final stage.

Organizational expenses

The organization of the UEFA Champions League final entails a number of significant expenses. From match promotion to television broadcasting, every aspect of the event requires considerable investment. In terms of promotion, UEFA works in partnership with a number of different companies to ensure that the event reaches as many people as possible. as many people as possible. Advertising campaigns are developed on television, radio and digital media, and pre-match events are organized to generate anticipation and excitement among fans. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers generated by an event of this magnitude have skyrocketed.

Taking into account the year 2022 alone, it is estimated that the revenues generated over the course of the season were in excess of 3,611.8 billion euros. A figure in which UEFA contributes more than 300 million euros to organize the three main continental competitions. In addition, television broadcasting is one of the most important elements in the organization of the Champions League final. The television rights are sold worldwide, which means that the match is broadcast in numerous countries and reaches millions of viewers.

After more than 30 editions under the UEFA seal, television rights have grown to very high standards. For this edition, broadcasting sales are expected to exceed 3 billion euros 3 billion between all competitions. This is due to the immense exposure for European soccer from sponsorship, which by 2024 will bring in more than 500 million euros. This is an opportunity for brands to advertise during the event and for UEFA to make significant profits.

The new Champions League format

Starting with the 2024/25 season, the UEFA Champions League has opted for a revamped format that replaces the traditional group stage with a single league stage comprising 36 teams, instead of the previous 32. In this new structureIn this new structure, each team has played eight matches against different opponents, four at home and four away, instead of the six matches previously played against three opponents in a round-robin format. This change has been presented as the ideal alternative to the classic home-and-away format to see a variety of matches. Some of the most most outstanding duels of this first phase have been matches such as Real Madrid versus AC Milan, Bayern Munich versus Futbol Club Barcelona or Atlético de Madrid versus Bayer Leverkusen. As for progress in the competition, the top eight teams in this league phase will automatically qualify for the round of 16.

Teams finishing between ninth and twenty-fourth place will participate in a two-legged play-off to determine who will complete the round of 16. The winners of these play-offs will join the top eight in the knockout phase. This format is designed to increase competitiveness and reduce the number of meaningless matches, ensuring that each game carries significant weight in the standings. In addition to the expansion in the number of teams and the modification in the structure of the of the competition, four additional places have been allocated for the league phase. One of these places will be awarded to the club that finishes third in the championship of the federation ranked fifth in the UEFA national federation rankings.

Another spot will go to a national champion, expanding the number of clubs that qualify through the "Route of Champions" from four to five. The remaining two berths will be allocated to the clubs with the best coefficient in the last five years that have not automatically qualified for the Champions League group stage, but have qualified for the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League.

The venue and reward of the 2024/2025 edition

The 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League final will be held on 31 May 2025 at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Allianz Arena in Munichin Munich, Germany. The stadium, which opened in 2005, is known for its distinctive illuminated facade and is the regular home of Bayern Munich. It will be the second time that the Allianz Arena will host a Champions League final, having been the first in 2012. In addition, Munich has hosted other European finals in the past, establishing itself as an iconic city for continental soccer.

In terms of financial rewards, UEFA has significantly increased the prizes for the 2024/2025 season. The winning team will receive 25 million euros 25 million for winning the title, up from the 20 million awarded in previous seasons. This amount is in addition to the winnings accrued throughout the competition, which include payments for participation, results in the league phase and progress in the knockout rounds.

In addition to the prize for winning the finalthe teams accumulate income based on their performance at each stage of the tournament. For example, each victory in the league phase brings €2.1 million, while a draw adds €700,000. Qualification for the knockout rounds also carries additional rewards9.5 million for advancing to the round of 16, 10.5 million for reaching the quarterfinals, 12.5 million for reaching the semifinals and 18.5 million for the runner-up. In total, a team with a perfect performance could accumulate up to 111 million euros in prize money over the course of the competition.

Summary table

The relevance of the event worldwide	Broadcasting and information on the competition through various communication channels. Average number of spectators of the competition throughout the season.
Organizational expenses	UEFA investment throughout the season. TV rights sales and sponsorship figures.
The new Champions League format	Substitution of the group stage for the preliminary league stage. Novelties in the variety of games.
The venue and reward of the 2024/2025 edition	The designation of the Allianz Arena as the stadium for the final. The monetary reward for the winning team.

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