Premier League clubs are set for a loss of £1billion in revenue in their 2019-20 accounts due to the coronavirus pandemic, financial services firm Deloitte has predicted.
Deloitte says the top-flight sides will face a permanent loss of £500million made up of rebates to broadcasters and the loss of matchday revenue from the suspension of competition, but that a further £500m missing off the 2019-20 balance sheets will be deferred and recouped in 2020-21 if the competition is able to complete this season and next.
Clubs are forecast to earn around half of what they normally would in matchday revenue in the 2020-21 season, with that estimate of £350m set to be lost if supporters cannot return to stadiums at any stage in the season.
"For 18-19 for the full year we had £680m of Premier League matchday revenue. For 20-21 we have assumed £350m. So if you allow for a bit of inflation you'd be thinking £700m or thereabouts would have been the right number, so we have gone for £350m as an estimate."
Deloitte found that Europe's 'big five' leagues – England's Premier League, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spain's LaLiga – generated a record £15bn revenue in 2018-19, a nine per cent increase on the previous year.
The EFL – in all divisions – posted record revenues in 2018-19 although Championship clubs' pursuit of the fortunes on offer in the Premier League saw them record a wage-to-turnover ratio of 107 per cent.
