Great '08: World Cup Rights Help FIFA Draw Surplus Of $184M

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

FIFA tallied $957M in revenue in '08, driven primarily by $560M in TV broadcasting rights for the '10 World Cup and $253M in marketing rights, according to the recently-released FIFA Financial Report for last year. The organization had $773M in expenses, roughly half of which ($345M) went to expenses for the '10 World Cup. The organization recorded a surplus of $184M. FIFA President Sepp Blatter in a letter said, "We are in a comfortable financial position, particularly as the majority of the TV and marketing contracts with the 2010 FIFA World Cup have already been concluded. ... We therefore hope that, thanks to our longstanding relationship with partners, the effects of the worldwide economic downturn will have only a limited effect on FIFA's revenue."