The highlight of 2009/10 for Olympique Lyonnais was reaching the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League
for the first time in the club’s history. Despite this run, and an increase in revenue of €6.5m to €146.1m (£119.6m), the club drop one place in the Money League. The 2009/10 season also saw Olympique Lyonnais finish as runner-up in Ligue 1, one place behind Olympique de Marseille above whom they sit in the Money League.

The improved Champions League performance generated €29.1m (£23.8m) in UEFA central distributions, €5.5m (23%) more than the previous year and 20% of Lyon’s total revenue. This is a key driver behind an increase in broadcast income of €10.3m. Second place in Ligue 1 secured automatic qualification to the 2010/11 Champions League where, as in 2009/10, the club faces Real Madrid in the round of 16.

OL’s commercial revenues decreased by €6.2m, taking the total fall since 2007/08 to €16m (27%). The club
attributed the fall in commercial income to the impact of the wider economic climate and being unable to carry the logo of online gaming company BetClic on its shirts in 2009/10 due to French regulatory restrictions. Lyon expects to see an increase in merchandising revenues following the commencement in 2010/11 of a deal with adidas to be the club’s kit manufacturer for ten years which the club anticipate will deliver between €80m and €100m in total over the duration of the contract.

Matchday revenue increased by €2.4m (11%) to €24.8m (£20.3m) in 2009/10 bolstered by playing 27 home
games, two more than the previous season. Nevertheless matchday accounted for only 17% of the club’s income and average league attendance fell 4% to 35,767, one of the lowest amongst Money League clubs.

The club will hope that a new stadium will help to increase matchday revenue and plans are in place for a new 60,000 seat venue, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.

Continued participation in the Champions League will secure OL’s top 20 position in future editions of Money League, with a substantial revenue boost from the delivery of the new stadium needed to fuel its challenge for the top ten placing which has eluded it so far.

View the full Deloitte Football Money League ranking.

Source: Deloitte Sports Business Group

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