Figures were outlined in an annual report by accountancy firm Deloitte.
The combined pre-tax losses of Premier League clubs climbed over 600 per cent in the space of one year, according to a new report.
Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance found total losses among top-flight sides rose from £135million in the 2023-24 season to £948m in 2024-25.
Villa were among the minority of clubs who made a profit after posting club-record revenues of £370m.
Yet their £17m pre-tax profit was aided by the combined £114m made from the sales of the women’s team and the operating rights to The Warehouse venue at Villa Park.
Otherwise, they would have posted a loss of £97m.
Wolves, meanwhile, recorded of £15.3m in their 2024-25 accounts, which were published earlier this year.
This rise in aggregate losses across the Premier League was attributed by Deloitte to transfer spending and the absence of significant profits from one-off sales.
Net debt of top flight clubs was up to £3.6billion in 2024-25, compared to £3.5bn the season before, Deloitte found.
Championship clubs’ pre-tax losses rose 12 per cent to £355m, with only three clubs reporting a pre-tax profit in 2024-25.
Albion lost £17m, though this was down from £31m for the 2023-24 accounting period.
Tim Bridge, the lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, said: “The cumulative financial position and worsening club losses across all three English Football League divisions underline a continuing trend; one where external funding is now critical to liquidity in the vast majority of cases.
“Upcoming regulatory changes could support future improvements, but the focus must now shift to stronger commercialisation and sustainable growth, or a plan to bridge the gap to the Premier League to unlock the huge amount of value within football at all levels.”
The Deloitte report highlighted the vast gap in revenue between the English top flight and the second tier, with Premier League sides raking in £6.8bn compared to £942m in the Championship, which represented a two per cent decline in revenue compared to the previous season for second-tier clubs.
Discussions over a ‘New Deal’ to create a more equitable split of television revenue between the Premier League and the EFL have stalled since 2024, though the Independent Football Regulator may have a role in speeding things along as it has ‘backstop’ powers to impose a settlement if a deal cannot be agreed.
Deloitte found the European football market grew 13 per cent overall to 40.2bn euros (£34.3bn) in 2024-25 – the first season featuring UEFA’s newly-expanded men’s club competitions.
However, the financial services firm expects revenue to plateau and potentially fall in the years ahead, and Bridge warned that simply adding more fixtures to an already crowded calendar cannot be the answer.
Bridge added: “The expansion of UEFA and FIFA competitions has delivered financial benefits across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, but football cannot rely on simply adding more content to deliver sustainable growth.
“An increasingly saturated market may not be good for players or fans, particularly if it weakens the on-pitch spectacle. This approach, without a collective mindset from all rights-holders, risks prioritising short-term gain over long-term prosperity.
“European football has forged the dominant position on the world stage, but as US sports consider moves to the European market, and competition from other entertainment businesses intensifies, there are undoubtedly challenges ahead.
“Now is the time for leaders to concentrate on diversifying business models, while collaborating with others on a shared plan for the future. Strong leadership and innovation, underpinned by fit-for-purpose regulation are paramount.”
Continue Reading