Premier League economic impact set to reach £33bn

The Premier League is expected to deliver £33bn in gross value added to the UK economy between 2025 and 2028, according to new analysis that highlights the competition’s growing importance as a national export and investment driver.The EY assessment projects £14.8bn in tax revenue by 2028 while supporting 107,600 full-time equivalent jobs annually, with the league’s economic contribution now 14 times greater than in the 1998-99 season.EY UK chief economist Peter Arnold said: “Over more than three decades, the Premier League has grown from a domestic football competition into one of the UK’s most successful global exports. Watched by audiences around the world and followed by more than a billion supporters, its influence and positive contributions extend far beyond the pitch.“Alongside its substantial economic benefits, the Premier League is a major contributor to clubs, communities and the wider game nationwide.”The league’s international broadcast revenue reached £1.8bn, almost matching the export value of the rest of the UK television sector combined, while an estimated 1.1m international supporters visited the UK in 2023-24.Those visits generated more than £1bn in gross value added and represented 2.6% of all international tourist visits, demonstrating the wider economic value created by the Premier League’s global audience.The impact is also heavily distributed outside London, with 60% of GVA and 66% of jobs supported by clubs outside the capital during 2023-24.Premier League clubs generated £5.9bn in GVA outside London, including £3.1bn in the North West, where Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton are among the competition’s largest economic anchors.Infrastructure spending is expected to become another major contributor, with planned and proposed stadium projects representing between £3.7bn and £9bn of investment and potentially supporting up to 110,000 full-time equivalent jobs.Clubs spent £4.8bn on capital projects between 2014 and 2024, while future development could take the league’s combined stadium capacity beyond 900,000 seats.The Premier League is also projecting £4.3bn in social value from club charities and Premier League Foundation programmes between 2025 and 2028, with 83% of that impact expected outside London.A record 15.9m supporters attended Premier League matches during 2025-26, reinforcing the league’s position as both a global media property and an increasingly significant contributor to the wider UK economy.