Soccernomics

Manchester United are named the world's richest club for an eighth year in a row.

Manchester United's global fan base of some 330 million also helps makes it the most valuable team in any sport, worth The Red Devils’ estimated $2.24bn ( £1.4 billion), $385 million (£240m) more than both Major League Baseball's New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, the Forbes report said. "During the 2010-11 season Manchester United reaped $192 million (£120m) in broadcasting revenue, 22 percent higher than the previous season. The club's run last year to the final of the Champions League, where they lost to Barcelona, commanded an $80 million (£50m) payout from UEFA."

However both Real Madrid and Barcelona have higher revenues than United, due in large part to the fact they have negotiated their own individual television rights deals for Spanish football. Arsenal are fourth on the list, worth $1.29 billion (£800m), behind Real (£1.6 billion) and Barca(£816 million) but just ahead of Bayern Munich (£766 million). The Forbes list ranks Chelsea in seventh place, worth £474 million, and Liverpool eighth with a value of £386 million.

Football is a business like no other, but a business nonetheless.

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