Whenever they step into the field, it looks like the world stopsfor a moment. El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid is one of the most-watched sports events every year, and that shouldn’t be a surprise.
Considering they are two European heavyweights who can take pride on their trophies and memorable teams (and players), it’s obvious why these clubs are extremely popular. And very valuable as well.
On Sunday, Los Cules and Los Blancos will face each other in the first derby of the 2021-22 La Liga season, in a game that will be broadcast in the US by ESPN+. Of course, we can expect this game to produce millions again.
How much money does El Clasico produce?
Barcelona and Real Madrid got used to be two profitable clubs, although El Blaugrana has been battling with a financial crisis since the pandemic outbreak. But El Clasico is probably the most anticipated game every season, and it produces a lot of money.
A study fromthe Sports Business Institute of Barcelona revealed that El Clasico generates a total of 0.11% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product, or 1.11 euros for every 1,000 euros produced by the country’s economy. The first Clasico in the 2016-17 season, for instance, generated $42.5 million in media value for sponsors, according to Nielsen Sports, who added that the TV broadcast of the game generated 60% or $26.8 million of the value, as quoted by Forbes.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will clash for the first time in a while with fans on the stands, as they’re expected to be watched by a packed Camp Nou – and by millions of viewers in every part of the world. In the US, you can watch it via ESPN+.