Key Takeaways:
- Premier League clubs recorded combined pre-tax losses of £948 million in 2024/25, a more than 600% increase from £135 million in 2023/24
- Aggregate net debt among Premier League clubs rose to £3.6 billion in 2024/25
- Only three Championship sides reported pre-tax profits as losses in the second tier grew 12% to £355 million
Premier League Clubs Face Record Financial Shortfall
A newly published report by Deloitte has revealed that clubs in the Premier League experienced a dramatic spike in combined pre-tax losses, which soared from £135 million in the 2023/24 season to £948 million in 2024/25 – representing an increase of over 600% within a single year.
Deloitte attributed these escalating losses chiefly to elevated transfer expenditure, coupled with a lack of significant gains from one-time player sales during the season. The total net debt for Premier League sides also increased, climbing to £3.6 billion in 2024/25 compared to £3.5 billion the previous year.
| Season | Combined Pre-Tax Losses (£m) | Net Debt (£bn) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 135 | 3.5 |
| 2024/25 | 948 | 3.6 |
Championship and EFL Clubs Continue to Struggle
Financial challenges were also evident in the second-tier Championship, where combined pre-tax losses increased by 12% to reach £355 million in 2024/25. Notably, only three clubs reported pre-tax profits during the period, according to Deloitte’s findings.
Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, stated: “The cumulative financial position and worsening club losses across all three English Football League divisions (the three tiers below the Premier League) underline a continuing trend, one where external funding is now critical to liquidity in the vast majority of cases.”
Revenue Shares and Market Expansion
Discussions aimed at delivering a fairer distribution of television revenues between the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) have remained at an impasse since 2024. However, the recently established Independent Football Regulator holds the authority to impose a resolution should the parties fail to reach a voluntary agreement.
Deloitte also found that total revenues from the European football market increased by 6%, reaching 40.2 billion euros (£34.3 billion) for the 2024/25 period. This marks the first season featuring UEFA’s expanded men’s club competitions.
Despite an uptick in revenue derived from additional fixtures across the “big five” European leagues, Tim Bridge cautioned against overreliance on increasing the volume of content for long-term financial security, stating: “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.”
