Football contributed £330M in gross value to Manchester, England's economy in '10-11, "with the global profile that Manchester receives from football worth an additional" £100M ($150M) a year on an advertising-equivalency basis, according to Mark Baber of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. A report produced by Cambridge Econometrics and the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University analyzed how football teams in Manchester, including ManU, Man City, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers, "contribute to the area's economic and social well-being." Based on the fact that total ticket sales for the 2012 London Olympics were 10.99 million, while total Premier League ticket sales for the four Greater Manchester Premier League clubs in '11/12 were 3.13 million, the report states, "Greater Manchester effectively hosts a large sporting event at least once a week during the football season, the equivalent of an Olympic and Paralympic Games every 4 seasons" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 4/12).
RELYING ON FOOTBALL: FC BUSINESS noted the report starts "at the top with the pro clubs and their direct commercial activities," then filters down through manufacturing, retail and into hospitality to determine the final figures. With 8,500 jobs supported in some capacity by football, it is clear that football "is becoming a key element of day-to-day working life." The report ultimately suggests that the global spotlight on ManU over the past two decades "is equivalent to an eye-watering" £1B ($1.5B) worth of advertising for the city. The report also revealed that average hotel occupancy is 85% on ManU or Man City matchdays, compared to 70% on other days. One in eight of all int'l visitors to the city "attend a match at Old Trafford," compared to the national rate of one in 40. Overseas visitors going to ManU or Man City games spend an average of £800 ($1,200), roughly a quarter more than those "not watching matches" (FC BUSINESS, 4/11).
