After that night in May 2012, Chelsea fans have fond memories attached to Bayern Munich, one of the only clubs on the continent who can still rival the Premier League elite financially.
The Premier League’s TV deal dwarfs every other European league. The latest rights cycle, taking into account both domestic and overseas packages, is worth over £10bn. Next cycle, it will reach £12.25bn.
Chelsea’s cut in the last published financial year, including UEFA TV cash too, was £226m. Over the same period, Bayern Munich earned about £76m.
Infographic showing Chelsea's revenue in recent years and the breakdown between commercial matchday and media income.
For context, that was only just over half what Crystal Palace, who finished 11th, earned from the same income stream in that financial year.
The Premier League has a now likely insurmountable advantage over the Bundesliga and other major European leagues in the media stakes, which is reflected in their purchasing power.
It is partly for that reason that Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and the rest of the Clearlake-led consortium have felt comfortable sanctioning such lavish investment at Chelsea since the takeover in May 2022.
Yes, the £1bn-plus that Chelsea have spent on new signings is testing the very upper limits of PSR (formerly FFP), even if the strategy is starting to yield results on the pitch under Enzo Maresca.
MORE CHELSEA STORIES
But the owners are confident that their eventual return on investment is ultimately insured against against the Premier League’s ever growing TV rights and associated commercial benefits.
The revived European Super League is, although they would not admit it, a direct challenge to the Premier League’s supremacy.
Chelsea backed out of the Super League in April 2021 after an unprecedented fan backlash, and the imminent government-backed independent football regulator will likely any future attempts to join up.
The brains behind the new Super League relaunch, A22 Sports Management, will therefore frame the revised competition format as a means for the likes of Bayern to catch up with Chelsea and their peers.
Fans hold banners opposing Chelsea signing up for the newly proposed European Super League ahead of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Br...
Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images
But that breakaway competition is not the only novel idea to shake up football’s financial ecosystem.
In 2025, Chelsea will compete in a new and, FIFA say, improved Club World Cup.
When the Blues won the Club World Cup three years ago for the first time, they had to win just two matches, a semi against Al-Hilal and the final against Palmeiras.
If they go all the way this time, Enzo Maresca’s side will need to win seven matches in total.
Chelsea’s Club World Cup group stage draw
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Team 1|Team 2|Team 3|Team 4|
|Group A|Palmeiras|FC Porto|Al-Ahly|Inter Miami|
|Group B|Paris Saint-Germain|Atlético Madrid|Botafogo|Seattle Sounders|
|Group C|Bayern Munich|Auckland City|Boca Juniors|Benfica|
|Group D|Flamengo|Espérance Sportive de Tunisie|Chelsea|Club León|
|Group E|River Plate|Urawa Red Diamonds|Monterrey|Inter Milan|
|Group F|Fluminense|Borussia Dortmund|Ulsan|Mamelodi Sundowns|
|Group G|Manchester City|Wydad|Al-Ain|Juventus|
|Group H|Real Madrid|Al-Hilal|Pachuca|RB Salzburg|
The competition has prompted pushback, with many seeing it as a glorified pre-season event tournament.
But it represents an opportunity for Chelsea fans to visit the United States and watch their side compete for a lucrative prize all the same.
That is if they have thousands of pounds they are willing to part with to do so…
Chelsea fans learn extortionate Club World Cup ticket prices
Bayern are one of the 12 European clubs competing at the Club World Cup next summer, qualifying by virtue of their four-year UEFA coefficient ranking.
They will be backed by thousands of Bavarians at the event, which takes place between 14 June and 13 July.
The pricing for tickets is dictated by FIFA and the boots-on-the-ground organisers in the US, with some of the nation’s biggest and best venues lined up to host matches.
Significantly, Bayern have become the first European club to announce how much tickets will cost at the Club World Cup.
It will come as a shock to the system for their fans, who are famously charged only modest prices to watch their team at the Allianz Arena.
Club World Cup 2025 ticket prices
If Chelsea reach the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, fans will have to fork out $892 to watch it in the flesh.
That’s over £710 at today’s exchange rate.
For many, this will be seen as a symptom of increasing greed in football and the encroachment of American pricing and ticketing structure.
How much will Chelsea earn for playing at the Club World Cup?
The exact prize money available from the Club World Cup is not yet known, but there is now a fair bit of information that allows us to make an informed guess.
Initially, FIFA were targeting a £4bn TV deal. They have not got anywhere near that price, with DAZN’s Saudi-sponsored bid of around £750m they best they could manage.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino hands over the FIFA Club World Cup trophy to Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea following the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 20...
Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images
Suggestions that Chelsea could bank as much as £84m just for turning up have therefore been proved wildly wide of the mark.
However, the West London club can expect to trouser around £30m, rising if they progress through the tournament. If they reach the final, top European teams can expect up to £60m.
That figure is contingent on Chelsea turning up on the pitch, of course, and the base fee isn’t the astonishing riches promised at one point.
But is is significant money all the same, especially given that Chelsea’s compliance or non-compliance with PSR in 2024-25 could go right down to the wire.
An infographic explaining how PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) work in the Premier League and UEFA
Even at the lower end of the spectrum, it is more than they could expect to earn from a traditional overseas pre-season tour.
It also gives them the opportunity to strike new commercial deals and push their brand in the commercial market with the highest potential yield in football, the United States.
Related Posts