Leeds United sold the 16th most shirts in 2023, earning £30 million and outperforming numerous Premier League clubs.
The Whites may be out of the Premier League this season and possibly beyond, but there’s no disputing the team has a bigger draw than most in the country.
Whether it’s attendance figures, TV viewing figures, past success, or simply how often they’re talked about, it’s difficult to argue that Leeds are a huge club.
Leeds United ranked 16th in the world for shirt sales in 2023.
ESPN has produced a list of the world’s finest teams in terms of money generated from kit sales, with Barcelona leading the pack with €179 million hauled in until 2023.
Only six clubs in England have a higher revenue: Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City.
Leeds are ranked higher than Inter Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt on the same list, and they sell more than clubs such as Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Atletico Madrid.
49ers might tap into massive Leeds United potential in the coming years.
It’s pretty evident that one of the main reasons the 49ers were so interested in investing in Leeds, specifically, a few years ago was the club’s untapped marketing potential.
Leeds are the Championship’s cash cow when it comes to broadcast games, and even in the Premier League, the Whites competed with some of Europe’s finest for revenue.
Promotion is never determined by a club’s size, and while it’s unclear which level Leeds will play in next season, it’s evident that the 49ers may have something spectacular on the horizon with the Elland Road club.
If Leeds can get into the top tier with sufficient support, the 49ers could have a massive commercially viable club on their hands.
