EPL side Everton announced a post-tax loss of £4.1M for '14-15 despite increasing turnover to a club record £125.6M, according to Andy Hunter of the London GUARDIAN. The Goodison Park club made a record profit of £28.2M in '13-14 "due mainly to the first year of the new broadcasting deal and player sales." The club's net debt, reduced by more than £17M to £28.1M in '13-14, rose to £31.3M in '14-15. Staff costs "as a percentage of turnover also increased to 61.7%." Everton's broadcast income decreased by £3.1M ($4.7M) as Manager Roberto Martínez’s team slipped from fifth in the Premier League in '14 to 11th in '15. However, participation in the Europa League "helped increase revenue from commercial activities and, with sponsorship, advertising and merchandising income on the rise," the club’s turnover grew from £120.5M in '13-14 to a record £125.6M in the last financial year. Everton CEO Robert Elstone said, "Our financial performance, like so many Premier League clubs, was underpinned by the second year of a TV deal that beat all expectations, but also by increases in matchday and commercial revenues. ... Beyond the Premier League table, probably the most significant barometer of success is attendances and 2014-15 broke all recent records with our highest season ticket total for at least 10 years" (GUARDIAN, 11/18). ESPN's Mike Whalley reported the club added 4,000 season ticket holders during '14-15, taking the total to 28,000. The club gave new contracts to Martínez, midfielder Ross Barkley and defenders Seamus Coleman and John Stones during the period covered by the latest accounts (ESPN, 11/18).
