S&P Analysis: World Cup 2022 to Generate $6.5 Billion in Revenues

As the FIFA World Cup gears up to begin in Qatar, S&P Analysis indicates the sporting event will generate revenues of $6.5 billion, surpassing all previous tournaments and four times the figure seen in Korea and Japan in 2002.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has said he expects the football tournament to reach 5 billion people across all platforms in 219 markets.

S&P analysis of the last complete four-year World Cup cycle that led up to Russia 2018 indicates that just under 50 percent of FIFA’s revenues for the event came from broadcasting rights fees, with 26 percent from sponsorships and 11 percent from hospitality and ticket sales.

According to an S&P Global Market Intelligence Consumer Insights survey, soccer is the most popular sport for live-TV viewing in eight of ten major global markets and in the top three for nine markets.