Manchester United recorded a $20.9 million first-quarter loss Wednesday — cutting year-over-year losses by nearly half — and posted $170.4 million in total revenue in its first earnings report since bringing back Cristiano Ronaldo.
With Old Trafford allowing full capacity again, matchday revenue skyrocketed 1,005.9% year-over-year to $25.3 million. The stadium has a 76,000 seating capacity. Broadcasting revenue fell 9% to $58.3 million, attributed to fewer games — it had jumped 88% year-over-year in Q2.
- The club’s retail, merchandising, apparel, and product licensing revenue grew 21.1% to $37.8 million.
- Sponsorship revenue fell 0.5% to $48.9 million.
Wages for the team are up 23.1% from the same period last year.
On Tuesday, the team confirmed discussions with its supporters’ trust about a new “fans’ share scheme” in which roughly $10 million worth of shares would be up for grabs. The Glazer family, who owns the team, sold off $186 million worth of shares last month and $96 million in March.
During the quarter, Ariel Investments increased its stake from 5% to 13.8%.
As of April 2021, Manchester United was valued at $4.2 billion by Forbes.
