​Ekolig Report for 2019 released by Aktif Bank Revenues of Super Lig reach up to 4.2 billion TRY

Aktif Bank, the largest privately owned investment bank in Turkey, released the fourth issue of Ekolig - Football Economy Report under which the revenues and economic view of Turkish Football were scrutinized. While generating a total revenue of 3.2 billion TRY from match-day, live broadcasting and commercial revenues during 2017-2018 season, Super Lig achieved a growth rate of 30 percent, rising its revenues up to 4.2 billion TRY by the end of 2018-2019 season.

Providing substantial contributions to the Turkish sports community with not only its financial support but also its knowledge, Aktif Bank held a press conference on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 upon attendance of Dr. Serdar Sumer, CEO of Aktif Bank, and Mr. Ceyhun Kazanci, General Manager of Passolig, to publicize the latest issue of Ekolig, the most extensive, first and only report of Turkey that has been shared with the sports community since 2016 by Aktif Bank. Executives from several organizations and academicians providing their supports to the Turkish football community especially executives from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), and representatives of the football clubs attended the press conference. Under the report presenting the big picture of Turkish football based on the 3 major revenue items of the football economy and comparing Super Lig with the European leagues, the Super Lig football clubs generated a total revenue of 7.4 billion TRY (including all match-day, live broadcasting, commercial revenues and all revenues yielded from the European Leagues) in the last two football seasons.

Dr.Serdar Sumer: 'Super Lig achieved a growth rate of 30 percent'

Addressing the global football economy, Ceyhun Kazanci, General Manager of Passolig, said:  "Now, the global football world competes not only on the green field, but also across the effective strategies developed based on the ever-changing consumption dynamics, technology and innovation trends. Holding a market size of up to 18 billion Euro as of 2018-2019 season, the big 5 leagues of Europe account for 70 percent of the total revenues generated by the other 53 football leagues under the organization of UEFA.  When we look closer to the last 15 years, we see that the representatives of the big 5 leagues won the cup in the UEFA Champions League. This is where the importance of competing in the Big Leagues becomes apparent in terms of financial competition in the football economy. Under the EkoLig - Football Economy Report, we, as Aktif Bank, tried to analyze the position of the representatives of Super Lig in the competitive environment of the global football industry in both sportive and financial terms. We hope this report will be a valuable reference for all stakeholders of Turkish football."

Galatasaray holds the top-ranking position also in revenues

Completing the last two seasons of Super Lig as the champion, Galatasaray also holds the top-ranking position in revenues. Rising their revenues to 908.5 million TRY with an increase by 76 percent in the season 2018-2019 from 517.2 million TRY yielded in the season 2017-2018, the Lions became the most revenue-yielding team both on the green field and under the financial statements.

Fenerbahce now ranks #2 under the financial statements

Holding the 3rd place in the revenue ranking among the Big 4 with its revenues of 514.2 million TRY in the football season 2017-2018, Fenerbahce is ranked just after the champion by boosting its revenues to 694.3 million TRY with an increase by 35 percent despite its up-and-down performance on the green field during the last season.

Trabzonspor keeps growing steadily

Achieving a steady financial growth in the last 3 seasons, Trabzonspor increased its revenues to 318.3 million TRY from 205.4 million TRY, attaining an increase of 55 percent. Trabzonspor achieved the most revenue increase in its commercial revenues item. Yielding a total commercial revenues of 78.3 million TRY during the season 2017-2018, the representative of the Black Sea Region doubled up its commercial revenues, increasing this revenue item up to 156.4 million TRY.

Fall to the 3rd place from the top-ranking position

Holding the top-ranking position in the financial competition among the Big 4 thanks to its revenues of 729.1 million TRY during the football season 2017-2018, Besiktas yielded a total of 622.7 million TRY with a revenue loss of 15% in the season 2018-2019. The Black Eagles also fell down to the 3rd place from the top-ranking position under the financial statements.

The Big 4 account for 87 percent of the match-day revenues

The match-day revenues of Super Lig, which has yielded a total match-day revenues of 261.5 million TRY during the season 2016-2017, have been rising in the last two seasons. The match-day revenues, which rose to 396.3 million TRY with an increase by 52 percent in the season 2017-2018, achieved an increase of 24 percent, reaching up to 491.1 million TRY in the season 2018-2019.

Galatasaray held the top-ranking position also in the match-day revenues with its match-day revenues of 165.8 million TRY while the match-day revenues of Fenebahce, Besiktas and Trabzonspor were recorded as 139.9 million TRY, 97.5 million TRY and 23.3 million TRY, respectively.

EkoLig in Figures

• A total of 8.1 million people went to the stadiums to watch Super Lig matches in the last 2 seasons.
• The average attendance number, recorded as 12 thousand 821 during the season 2017-2018, reached up to the level of 14 thousand in the season 2018-2019.
• Galatasaray became the attendance-rate champion with its average attendance of 36 thousand 93.
• Atiker Konyaspor became the club which increased its attendance rate most among the Anatolian clubs.
• Trabzonspor sold the highest number of tickets among the teams competing in Super Lig.
• Average ticket price of Super Lig: TRY 66.74
• The average ticket price of the Big 4 was recorded as TRY 148.50 while the average ticket price of the teams other than the big 4 was recorded as TRY 31.66.
• The average ticket price, recorded as TRY 69.85 in the season 2017-2018, fell down to TRY 66.74 in the season 2018-2019 across Super Lig.
• Besiktas yielded the highest additional revenue using the Re-Sale application. Reselling nearly 70 thousand tickets in the last 3 seasons, Besiktas yielded an additional revenue of 7.5 million TRY.
• 22 percent of football fans entered the stadiums through their mobile phones by means of Passo Mobile Application.
• The fans of Fenerbahce became the ones who used their mobile phones most to access the Super Lig matches.  35 percent of the fans of Yellow Canaries entered the stadiums using the Passo Mobile Application.
• Attaining a percentage of 26 %, the fans of Goztepe became the ones who used their mobile phones most to access the matches among the Anatolian teams.
• The stadium which hosted the highest number of attendants: Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex TT Stadium (864,997)
• The number of Passolig Cards hit 4.6 million by the end of the season 2018-2019 while it accounted for 3.9 million by the end of the season 2017-2018.
• Galatasaray increased the number of its Passolig Cards most with an increase by 27 percent while Evkur Yeni Malatyaspor attained an increase of 22 percent and ranked first among the Anatolian clubs.
• No-show-up rate, which was recorded as 33 percent in the season 2016-2017, decreased to 21 percent in the season 2018-2019 from while it was reported as 25 percent in the season 2017-2018.
• With its commercial revenues of 317.8 million TRY, Fenerbahce yielded the highest commercial revenues.
• Generating the highest live broadcasting revenues of 231 million TRY (including the revenues of Ziraat Turkish Cup), Galatasaray became the champion of the league.