Dutch football’s financial evolution: Champions League boosts and rising rivals close the gap with Ajax
IMAGO | Mika Godts of AFC Ajax battles for the ball with Rick Karsdorp of PSV during a Eredivisie match
PSV Eindhoven’s record-breaking Eredivisie win last season also saw them close a revenue gap with Ajax that had stood at over €100 million just four years earlier.
Champions League football has helped the financial balance in Holland shift in recent years, and the swing would have been even greater were it not for Ajax’s strong underlying revenues.
Why it matters: In leagues with lowly domestic TV deals, like the Eredivisie, European football can bring sizeable shifts in club incomes – as can the ability to sell stars to wealthier leagues.
The perspective: Holland’s big three clubs are proving increasingly good exporters of talent, and an uptick in the league’s new domestic TV deal will strengthen future bargaining positions.
9 November 2024 - 7:35 AM
As PSV Eindhoven lifted last season’s Eredivisie in early May, there were doubtless some nervous glances from the Dutch capital.
After four consecutive titles, 2023/24 marked two years running that Ajax had missed out on the nation’s top domestic prize; worse still, the gulf between the Amsterdam club and the title-winners was more of a chasm, as PSV’s 91 points set a new Eredivisie record.
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