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Has Increasing Riches Reduced Sport’s Competitiveness?
And what it means for the spectator
Sport is big business. From the NFL to Premier League, the money flowing through competitive sport is eye-watering.
The highest-paid athlete in 2018, Floyd Mayweather, made $285 million, while the most valuable sports team in the world, the Dallas Cowboys, are valued at $4.8 billion.
The value of these clubs and the wealth of athletes shows no signs of slowing down, but is all the money in sport creating a less competitive world? If you look at the recent champions in the top European football leagues, the answer would be yes.
In Italy, Juventus have won nine consecutive championships. The same is true in Germany and France, where Bayern Munich have won seven consecutive championships, while Paris Saint-Germain has won seven of the last eight.
Only in England is the trend bucked. Manchester City became the first team to retain the Premier League this season since Manchester United in 2009. On face value, the Premier League looks to be competitive despite being the richest football league in the world.
However, it is an anomaly compared to the rest of Europe, where the teams with the biggest wallets routinely win the championship year after year.
