Barcelona heads into Saturday’s Clásico against Real Madrid with an 11-point lead on its rival in the La Liga title race -- and Barcelona also has "the advantage in financial terms, albeit by smaller margins," according to Richard Martin of REUTERS. The two teams "are separated by a hair’s breadth in the latest edition of the Deloitte Money League," with Barcelona generating €620.2M in revenue in '15-16 compared with Real’s €620.1M. Barça also sits above Real Madrid in the '17 Forbes Sports Money Index, "which ranks clubs according to their estimated value as a brand." The Catalan club is estimated to be worth $3.64B and Real Madrid $3.58B. However, the two Spanish clubs trail ManU "in both tables." The 20-time English champion had revenue of €689B in '15-16 and is estimated to be worth $3.69B. Deloitte Sports Business Group senior consultant Timothy Bridge said that Barça’s narrow lead over Real Madrid in commercial terms is the result of its "enduring drive to build revenues." The two clubs' "best chance of unseating" ManU as No. 1 in terms of revenues and brand values "depends on La Liga catching up with the Premier League in terms of worldwide audience." Bridge: "It’s about supporting the growth of the league overall to ensure international broadcast rights are maximized. Barça and Real Madrid should want the league to be competitive; they should want their competitors to set high standards, to have new, full stadiums. They need to grow the overall pie, which they will, in turn, benefit from" (REUTERS, 12/20).
