Tifosy Insights

Analysis
 | 8 min read
01 Mar 21

The world’s greatest sports brands

The four largest sports brands in the world – all founded in the USA and Germany – are collectively worth over $300bn. How do they stack up against each other, and which brand leads in endorsing professional clubs and athletes?

  • Nike remains the largest sports brand in the world, more than 50% larger than Adidas
  • Covid-19 has driven a major shift to direct-to-consumer sales – up to 47% for Under Armour in the last reported quarter
  • Adidas reclaimed leadership in football kit partnerships in the 2020/21 season
Latest
Analysis
 | 8 min read
22 Feb 21

US sports betting: the flood gates open

Betting on sports was illegal in all but four states of the USA until the federal ban was struck down in 2018. What has happened since then?
Briefing
 | 7 min read
15 Feb 21

eSports: new kid on the block

Online gaming events have been building viewership and revenues for some years, but a cessation of live physical sports activity during the first phase of the pandemic pushed this trend further into the limelight.
Snapshot
 | 5 min read
01 Feb 21

International transfers in 2020 (Part II)

The 2020 edition of FIFA’s annual report on international transfers has been published. In the second of two pieces we share the highlights from the women’s report.
Snapshot
 | 6 min read
25 Jan 21

International transfers in 2020 (Part I)

The 2020 edition of FIFA’s annual report on international transfers has been published. In the first of two pieces we share the highlights from the men’s report.
Analysis
 | 6 min read
18 Jan 21

OTT: Revolutionising live sports viewing

The adoption of Over The Top (OTT) or streaming services has been accelerated during lockdown. What is the state of play in sports?
Snapshot
 | 4 min read
14 Dec 20

Football eSports: Europe’s Big 5

Perhaps the biggest emerging sector in the sports industry over the last five years is eSports. How are the major European football leagues responding to this new dynamic?
Briefing
 | 5 min read
07 Dec 20

Women’s football: Europe’s Big 5

Since the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France reached over 1.12bn viewers worldwide, interest has been growing in the domestic women’s game. What is the state of play in Europe’s Big 5 leagues?
Analysis
 | 6 min read
30 Nov 20

Europe vs. North America: player wages

The major leagues in the USA and Canada have something their European counterparts don’t: wage caps. Are clubs across the Atlantic in better shape with these spending restrictions in place?
Analysis
 | 5 min read
23 Nov 20

Europe vs. North America: the “Big 5” match-up

Amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, comparisons are being made between the operating models of the largest European and North American sports leagues. We take a look at the basics.
Analysis
 | 5 min read
16 Nov 20

European football’s “One Horse Races”

Bayern Munich, Juventus and PSG have won 23 of a possible 24 titles in the past eight seasons. Should they be in a league of their own?
Analysis
 | 6 min read
09 Nov 20

Are the Big Six out of reach?

Leaks on “Project Big Picture” and a potential European Super League has raised the question again: are the Premier League’s elite clubs in a league of their own?
Analysis
 | 5 min read
02 Nov 20

30 years of M&A in football (Part III)

The final part of our deep dive into football club M&A since 1991 looks at the evolution of a new phenomenon in football: the rise of the portfolio owners.
Analysis
 | 5 min read
26 Oct 20

30 years of M&A in football (Part II)

In the second part of our review of club ownership changes since 1991, we delve into the types of owner entity involved in the acquisition of clubs.
Analysis
 | 6 min read
19 Oct 20

30 years of M&A in football (Part I)

The buying and selling of clubs has become a major part of the football narrative. In the first of three posts, we review changes of ownership in the Big 5 since 1991.
Snapshot
 | 5 min read
12 Oct 20

The first Covid transfer window

Amid all the reports of football clubs crippled by plummeting revenues and negative cash flows, how did the lucrative player transfer market play out this Summer?
Analysis
 | 6 min read
05 Oct 20

Value for money in the transfer market?

One man’s bargain is another’s rip-off: in player transfers, value for money is always subjective. But what does the data say? We examine the gap between valuations and reported fees.