A mini-economy is beginning to form around the Detroit Lions’ upstart playoff run. 

On the heels of the Lions’ divisional round postseason victory, part of a record-setting weekend of viewership for the NFL and the team’s own resurgence after 30 years of relative anonymity, Detroit’s march continues to drive robust business on multiple fronts. Among the latest indicators:

• Average resale ticket prices for the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium between the Lions and San Francisco 49ers now stand at $1,686, according to the ticket aggregator TicketIQ. That figure is down from more than $2,400 earlier in the week, but it still ranks among the highest ever for an NFL conference championship game and it’s fueled in part by an influx of traveling Lions fans. (The recent drop in prices now has the Lions-49ers game below the AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, averaging $2,302.)
• StubHub has nearly doubled its sales for the 49ers-Lions game compared to last year’s NFC Championship Game between San Francisco and the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Tickets for the Lions’ watch party at Ford Field for the title game sold out in just a matter of hours. A robust secondary market has emerged for that event, too, with top-end list prices exceeding $500, and many listings at least doubling the $20 list price. 
• Michigan stores are selling out of Lions gear and are struggling to keep stock refreshed amid consumer demand. 
• Detroit-area bars and restaurants are reporting a big spike in business, sparked by the Lions’ playoff wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

It’s common for teams and their home cities to see a surge in fan activity and related commerce alongside a surprising run of on-field success. But with the Lions standing as just one of four NFL teams never to reach a Super Bowl and the team going 30 years between division titles, the Detroit frenzy has reached a different level entirely. And yet, Lions head coach Dan Campbell is still remembering the team’s darker times.

“What a special moment all of this has been, but it’s not over,” Campbell said on WXYT-FM in Detroit. “So look, if other people are enjoying watching us play, of course we’re all over that. You’re welcome—as long as you weren’t bashing us early.”

Manchester City is the clear betting favorite to capture this year’s UEFA Champions League trophy, but Spanish rival Real Madrid is the new king of the most prestigious financial ranking of soccer clubs around the world. 

Real Madrid brought in $901 million in revenue during the 2022-23 season, more than any other club in the world, according to findings in the 2024 Deloitte Football Money League report. Manchester City, which topped last year’s list, brought in $895 million. Rounding out the top five:

• Real Madrid: $901 million
• Manchester City: $895 million
• Paris Saint-Germain: $869 million
• Barcelona: $867 million
• Manchester United: $808 million

In its report, which listed the top 30 revenue-generating teams globally, Deloitte indicated that clubs from the U.S. and Brazil are catching up to their European counterparts. Inter Miami, which did not make the list, has publicly set a revenue goal of $200 million for 2024. Hitting that mark would place them at No. 29 on the current list. This year’s 30th-ranked club, Everton, brought in $214 million.

Money Talks

On the women’s side, several familiar names dominate the list, which isn’t a complete snapshot given that clubs from the U.S., Australia, Japan, Norway, and Sweden did not provide Deloitte with revenue figures. From the top:

• Barcelona: $14.5 million
• Manchester United: $8.7 million
• Real Madrid: $8 million
• Manchester City: $5.75 million
• Arsenal: $5.75 million

A new legal development in the scandal surrounding the Spanish women’s soccer team: A high court judge in Spain recommended Thursday the case go to trial.

It’s the latest news following the unsolicited kiss by former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales during the 2023 Women’s World Cup trophy presentation. The judge supported star player Jenni Hermoso, who filed a criminal complaint of coercion and sexual assault in September, saying an investigation found the kiss was not consensual.

The judge also wants former head coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team sports director Albert Luque, and the Spanish federation’s marketing chief, Ruben Rivera, to stand trial for pressuring Hermoso to publicly release a video saying the kiss was consensual.

Prosecutors and Hermoso have 10 days to formally request a trial, the judge said. 

In August, FIFA suspended Rubiales, who insisted the action was consensual (which Hermoso denied), and he resigned from his position in September. The team boycotted international play until their country’s football federation agreed to make profound changes, and FIFA handed out a three-year suspension to Rubiales in October.

Vilda, who was fired in early September, became the manager of Morocco’s women’s team the next month.