THE English Premier League remains the richest in world football, according to figures out today.
Premier League clubs' revenue reached a record £2,360 million in 2011/12, according to Deloitte's annual review of football finance.
And in total, the revenue of the top 92 clubs in English football exceeded £3 billion for the first time.
Dan Jones, partner in the sports business group at Deloitte, said: "Despite operating in a challenging economic environment, English club football's profile, exposure and increasingly global interest have continued to drive revenue growth for the top clubs.
"The combined revenue of the Premier League clubs increased by 4 per cent to almost £2.4bn, with another year of impressive commercial revenue growth, largely focused among the highest ranked Premier League clubs and relatively stable matchday and broadcast revenues."
Premier League clubs' revenue is estimated to have grown by 5 per cent to £2.5bn in 2012/13.
And there will then be a significant increase of around £600m in the incoming season, with the first season of the Premier League's new broadcast deals, taking the projected revenue of top flight clubs above £3bn for the first time.
Almost 75 per cent of the Premier League clubs' revenue increase in 2011/12 was spent on wages, which increased by £64m (4 per cent) to £1.7bn and saw the overall Premier League clubs' wages to revenue ratio remaining at 70 per cent.
Other key findings of the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance 2013 include:
? The total European football market grew to a record £15.7bn in 2011/12;
? Premier League clubs generated the highest revenue (£2.4bn) of any league in Europe in 2011/12, followed by Germany (£1.5bn), Spain (£1.4bn), Italy (£1.3bn) and France (£0.9bn);
? The Bundesliga remained Europe's most profitable league with operating profits of £154m, followed by the Premier League, with operating profits of £98m;
? The top 92 English clubs invested £188m in stadia and facilities in 2011/12, exceeding £150m annual spend for the 15th successive year. In the 20 seasons to 2011/12, English professional football clubs have made in excess of £3.3bn in capital investments, with 29 stadia built. ? REVENUE: The Annual Review of Football Finance 2013, covering the major soccer leagues in Europe