Brighton reveal a staggering £595m financial boost ahead of the new Premier League season

Roberto De Zerbi led the team to an unprecedented sixth place in the Premier League last season and this time around will lead the club into Europe for the first time in their 122-year history.

While the footballing significance is clear, an independent assessment has revealed the incredible economic impact of the team’s achievements on the city.

The £595m total included £327m of direct income, £26m spent by visitors, £20m spent on goods and services in Brighton & Hove by club employees and a further £222m of brand and media value to the local economy, which greatly increases the city’s profile around the world.

This is the second time since promotion to the Premier League in 2017 that the club’s contribution to the local economy has been measured by economic and regeneration consultancy Marshall Regen Ltd.

Compared to the first appraisal, released in 2019 and based on the club’s first season in the Premier League, it has gone up nearly three-fold by an astonishing 281%.

Last season 54,000 visitors from overseas were among the 600,000 people who watched games at the American Express Stadium.

By spending £26m in the city, visitors from outside Brighton & Hove supported 379 jobs while the club’s employees spent more than £20m, in businesses in and around the city, evidence of the club’s strong local supply chains.

In addition, the Amex hosted over 830 events last season, attracting 48,000 visitors and contributing £3.5m to the local economy.

As well as thousands of extra visitors, the club’s success increased its global reach. Our games were watched by a worldwide TV audience of 83 million, 75 million of whom were international viewers from China, the United States, India and parts of Africa and the Middle East.

The local economy could be set for an even bigger boost when Albion embark on their first season of European football after qualifying for the Europa League this season.

This will bring in additional estimated income of up to £80m, comprised of £30m direct income; £6m from additional visitor spend, with at least three games to be played at the Amex, and £44m in added brand and media value to the city.

The club’s contribution to the local economy is reflected in the amounts paid to HMRC which have risen from £54m to £120m over the last five years, enough to fund more than 2,000 NHS nurses.

Albion remain a major local employer with 907 staff while its main contractor Sodexo employs around 500 people. In addition, 500 people are employed in the wider local economy through employee and visitor spend and spending on goods and services.

As part of the club’s commitment to investing locally, it is the parent company of the New Monks Farm development near Lancing which is delivering 637 new homes, including affordable properties and social housing for rent. The club have allocated £23m of capital investment to projects in 2023.