Premier League growth rate swamped by American sports
The Premier League’s growth rate was swamped by global rivals last year as American leagues continue to dominate revenue generation in sport.
The Premier League’s $5.3bn in new revenue represented a 10-year compound annual growth rate of five per cent, but that was enough for just fourth in the Two Circles Sports IP Revenue League.
The NFL tops the 50-team and organisation table with $14.9bn and seven per cent growth, ahead of the NBA ($8.1bn) and the Hong Kong Jockey Club ($6.4bn).
It does, however, make the Premier League the most lucrative football property, ahead of Uefa in fifth, Fifa in 13th and LaLiga in 14th.
But the top 10 features three horse-related bodies, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club alongside Churchill Downs – host of the Kentucky Derby – and the US Polo Association.
Combat sport organisation TKO, Formula 1 and the PGA Tour make up the top 10.
Premier League swamped by US
“Sport is one of the great success stories of the modern economy,” Two Circles’ co-founder Gareth Balch said. “In 2025, Sports IP Owners collected $174bn in revenue – another record and one that extends a decade of growth that has consistently outpaced global GDP.
“Since 2015, the industry has expanded at a compound annual rate of 6 per cent, almost twice the rate of the broader global economy over the same period. That is not a cyclical tailwind. That is structural.”
Real Madrid are the highest-ranked individual team from any sport, with Barcelona one place behind them in 23rd and one spot ahead of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
And the Premier League was jumped by the MLB when the aggregated league revenue – central and team revenues combined – were totted up, although England’s top flight is four times as valuable as the Indian Premier League.
“What the Sports IP Revenue League makes clear is that the opportunity is broad,” Balch added. “Growth is evident right across the ecosystem, from the largest leagues and federations to emerging properties finding new audiences in new markets.”