It has been a tricky start to the season for La Blaugrana on it but news of record revenue returns for the 2017-18 fiscal year has underlined the Catalan giants’ growing financial muscle in world sport.
The Camp Nou club confirmed it raked in $1.05 billion (€914 million) in revenues during the period, making them the first professional sports team to surpass the billion dollar mark.
In this same period, Barcelona’s operating income (before taxes and other costs) stood at $204 million, making a cool after-tax profit of $15 million.
Even eternal rivals Real Madrid are left in Barca’s wake, given Real’s top revenue turnover so far is $892 million.
And for the upcoming year ahead, president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his wider team have not reigned in their off-the-field targets, with club hierarchy budgeting a revenue return of $1.105 billion (€960 million) for the 2018-19 campaign, as well as an operating income of $220 million (€191m).
Remarkably, according to Barca’s long-term strategic plan – which includes a complete world-class renovation of the Camp Nou to be ready for the 2022-23 season – they expect to reach a €1bn revenue sum by 2021.
In the small print, towards the end of Barca’s media release, it stated the world-record fee received for Neymar last summer (€222 million) and additional rights, would be incorporated into the budget for this season.
