Not everybody is a football fan. I get that. Overpaid players. Rich clubs. Corrupt organisers etc.
But let’s just think about one aspect of it. The value to the UK economy. Football is a UK power-house; and so helps all we UK tax payers too!
The Premier League’s international TV rights are now more valuable than domestic ones & have increased 15-fold in the past 20 years. They are now worth more than those of the other top European leagues combined.
In fact, the new package of global rights is expected to exceed the value of all other UK TV exports(!) — an astonishing achievement given how rapidly these are increasing, too, & another illustration that Britain’s soft power standing continues to rise.
So how does that help you and me as UK residents?
Despite having some good accountants, the Premier League & its clubs pay £4.4 billion in tax each year, a handy amount, & deliver almost £10 billion in gross value added to the UK economy. A real British success story.
Now, if only they would keep the price of those match-day pies to a reasonable level 😅