Football and marketing

From noble beginnings to a global multibillion Euro industry, football has attracted significantly more than devoted fans’ attention in recent years. Industry reports suggest, globally, football is currently watched by more than 3.2 billion people, who help to generate revenues of €24.6bn in Europe alone (Deloitte Sport Business Group 2017), positioning it as one of the world’s most popular and commercialised sports. Contributing toward such success lies in the way in which modern football marketing management has been undertaken; that is, by exploiting football’s inherent advantages and seizing upon the opportunities that have arisen in the contemporary market. Along with professional football’s rapid and considerable growth since the early 1990s, and the media’s significant development and expansion, marketing and its use by football clubs, governing bodies, players and sponsors has evolved. This chapter, therefore, will explore this evolution as well as provide insight into current football marketing management, drawing upon real-world case study examples to better illustrate particular aspects of the sport’s inherent advantages. A further objective is to consider future developments in football marketing, highlighting issues that are yet to be fully explored within the sport and/or football marketing fields with the intention of encouraging further scholarly interest.