Sports Business : Brazilian football breaks turnover records in 2019

The Confederation of Brazilian Football has reported record revenue of R$957 million ($185.9 million) for the 2019 financial year, on the back of FIFA World Cup payments and television rights and sponsorship income.

The figures were announced at the CBF general assembly this week, with turnover up 43.4% on the R$668 million generated in 2018.

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The governing body said the increase could be attributed to broadcasting, sponsorship and other commercial rights deals and the Legacy Fund from Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

The CBF said more than half of the total revenue, R$547 millon, split R$215 million for the national teams and R$331 million for domestic competitions, was reinvested in Brazilian soccer.

Rogerio Caboclo, the CBF president, said: “Today, the CBF is a large Brazilian company, with management and results in proportion to its size. We invested more than half a billion reais in national football in 2019 alone.

“In 2019, we were successful where it matters most, which is on the pitch. The Brazilian teams were protagonists last year. We won the Copa America, the U-17 World Cup, the Toulon Tournament, the U-15 South American Tournament, as well as other grassroots tournaments abroad and in Brazil.”

Fifa set up the $100-million Legacy Fund “to benefit people and communities from across all 27 states”, but had withheld payments over compliance concerns.

In a statement to Insideworldfootball, Fifa said: “From a financial point of view, $66 million, divided in three instalments, have been transferred to CBF since the agreement reached at the end of 2018. As long as the conditions and compliance measures continue to be met, four more instalments will be paid until 2022.”

On sponsorship, the CBF struck a major deal with Italian car manufacturer Fiat in March 2019. Its revenue was also boosted by the staging of the Copa America in 2019, which the national team won.

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