Tonight’s Champions League Final is worth upwards of €310 million to the European economy, according to a study commissioned by MasterCard.
The MasterCard 'Heart of Sports Commerce report', developed by leading sport business mind Professor Simon Chadwick, found that Barcelona and Manchester United stand to profit from positive economic impacts such as increased squad value, prize money, sponsorship deals, television rights and growth in season ticket sales.
It is estimated that this season’s winning team will receive a windfall of more than €110 million and the losing side at least €65 million.
“What promises to be an epic contest between two of the world's greatest teams is also a major spur for the economy. The UEFA Champions League Final proves that sport’s mega-events can overcome the downturn, thanks to their huge emotional appeal,” said Professor Chadwick.
“We can expect modest increases in ‘established’ forms of economic and commercial activity around the 2009 Final, which could have been more significant had the economic climate been different, but what comes into play is a ‘recession premium’ worth around £25 million to the overall total from more people engaging as a result of the downturn.”
The study also estimates that Rome stands to earn more than €45 million from hosting the 2009 Final. This economic boost will result from a short term positive commerce flow through fan spending in bars, clubs, shops, hotels, city attractions, bookmakers and inside the Stadio Olimpico, along with sponsors and organisations spending on marketing in the city.
