For the U.K., ‘15 was a year that saw the country play host to the world’s third-largest sports event while continuing to court interest by the NFL to stage games at its stadiums. The London Legacy Development Corp. had to defend its actions around the West Ham and Olympic Stadium deal and Man City looked to Asia to grow its brand.
BIG WINNER: When World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper called the 2015 Rugby World Cup the “biggest and the best of all time,” the words rang true in more ways than one. In a year that was dominated by EPL drama, the tournament managed to hold its own, selling more than 2.8 million tickets and generating a profit of $247M. Despite the shock early exit of host England, the tournament still generated an estimated $1.5B for the U.K. economy.
EXPANSION PACK: In keeping with the rising number of EPL clubs trying to grow their Asian fan base, Man City made a number of efforts to boost its recognition in the Far East. In October, the club joined EPL rival Chelsea in opening an office in Singapore. City Football Group, which owns Man City, also announced its interest in the possibility of owning a Chinese football team. The ambitious plan would make J.League side Yokohama F. Marinos one of two Asian teams in a collection that already includes Major League Soccer side N.Y. City FC and A-League side Melbourne City.
PREMIER LEAGUE: The Premier League once again dominated headlines when it announced its record $7.8B domestic TV rights deal with Sky and BT. ManU also maintained its reputation as a revenue-generating machine with its return to the Champions League. With a return to the UEFA competition and a new adidas kit deal, the club reported a 39% rise in first-quarter revenue. The adidas deal has resulted in ManU taking ownership of its Megastore, which was previously controlled by Nike, allowing the club to retain 100% of its profits.
STADIUM UPS AND DOWNS: The NFL continued its effort to expand its presence in the U.K. In July, it signed a 10-year deal with Tottenham to play two regular-season games a year at the club’s new 61,000-capacity London stadium, set to open in ‘18. In addition to extending its existing agreement with Wembley Stadium for another five years, the NFL also announced a partnership with the Rugby Football Union’s Twickenham stadium. The stadium, which played host to the Rugby World Cup final in October, will host three NFL games for the first time ever. A stadium story that unfolded with plenty of drama was EPL side West Ham’s upcoming move to the Olympic Stadium. Plans for the transition were met with controversy after the club received numerous calls for terms of the deal to be made public. Fans questioned the fairness of the transaction, saying West Ham will receive an unfair advantage, and a BBC documentary accused the club of using taxpayer funds to pay for the majority of the stadium’s running costs. While the LLDC denied the claims, ex-Leyton Orient Chair Barry Hearn called for transparency. "There shouldn't be any secrets on this -- it's the taxpayers' money -- and we have every right to know the full deal,” Hearn said. In September, the Information Commissioner ordered the LLDC to comply with a Freedom of Information request for the full terms of the deal to be made public. The corporation said that it would appeal the decision.
