Europe's Elite Soccer Jerseys Are Now Worth $778 Million

At least, to the corporate sponsors bidding up the top six leagues

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid after scoring during the La Liga match against Elche FC on Feb. 22, 2015 in Elche, Spain.
Photographer: Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

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By Ira Boudway

February 24, 2015 at 2:18 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Sponsors keep throwing more money at elite European soccer teams to get brand names on the front of jerseys. New data reveal that the value of shirt sponsorships jumped 24 percent in a year on the top six leagues: England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga, Spain's Primera División, France's Ligue 1, Italy's Serie A, and the Dutch Eredivisie. All told, according to the sports-marketing researchers at Repucom, sponsors paid €687 million ($778 million) for jersey deals this season, up from €522 million last year.

Over the last 10 years, shirt revenue has more than doubled for the leagues. The English Premier League leads the pack with €213 million in jersey deals, up 36 percent from last year. Spain, which sits third, behind Germany, grew by 30 percent.