La Liga returns – with a turnover of nearly €16bn for the Spanish economy

The total turnover generated by the professional football industry in Spain in 2016/17 was over €15.69 billion, which equates to 1.37% of the country’s GDP. This means that for every euro that La Liga receives in turnover, an additional €4.20 is generated in the rest of the economy.

Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, said, ‘It confirms the enormous social and financial importance of professional football in our country and, subsequently, the importance of making responsible and well thought-out decisions about everything that affects an industry that is so relevant to our society.’

Contribution to employment

The industry’s total contribution to employment was 185,000 jobs in 2016/17, with every job directly generated by La Liga creating four more in Spain, covering an average of 0.98% of employed workers in Spain.

The 185,000 roles that have been created make up a considerable number of jobs linked to other sectors and activities in the Spanish economy. For example, compared with employment generated within the textile, manufacturing and leather industries, it is the equivalent of 1.2 times the number of people employed in 2016 or 2.4 times the number of workers employed in metallurgy and the manufacturing of iron and steel products.

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Multiplier effect

La Liga also generated additional revenue in other sectors such as catering, accommodation, bars and domestic tourism of almost €4 billion. In terms of the impact generated by football in other areas of the economy, the contribution to catering, transport and accommodation linked to sporting events held at stadiums stands out, with it reaching €2.4 billion in the 2016/17 season.

Besides the impact generated by stadium visitors, high viewing figures for La Liga matches helped Spanish bars take in around €1.23 billion, generating 19,415 jobs in the process.

Football fans also enjoy watching matches on TV through subscription packages. 58% of the 6.6 million subscribers have football included and 41% of them would not subscribe if the beautiful game was not available to them.

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Social impact

A survey involving over 800 people was also carried out in order to understand LaLiga’s positive influence on Spanish society through football. 79% of participants feel that professional football in Spain positively influences social relations and almost 70% consider it to have a beneficial effect on family relations.

According to the study, professional football promotes values in Spanish society, such as responsibility, development, integrity, camaraderie, respect and sportsmanship.

Furthermore, 78% believe that professional football in Spain has a positive influence on the Spanish brand, ahead of other sports, such as tennis and basketball.

Here you can read the full report ‘Financial, Fiscal and Social Impact of Professional Football in Spain’