Cricket and football are among the two most popular sports in the world. Both sports enjoy enormous worldwide fan bases and make large sums of money however; cricket is a distant second behind football in terms of income.
Nearly every nation in the world plays football, making it a universal sport. Every four years, the FIFA World Cup attracts billions of viewers and is among the most viewed athletic events in the world. Among the most well-known football leagues in the world, the English Premier League, La Liga, and Serie-A bring in billions of dollars annually.
The top 20 football teams in the globe made an estimated €8.2 billion in income during the 2019–2020 season, according to a research by Deloitte. This number indicates the enormous financial potential of football, despite being slightly down from the previous season. The survey also reveals that, with a total income of €5.2 billion for the 2019–2020 season, the English Premier League is the football league with the largest revenue generation.
Conversely, fewer nations than football participate in cricket. India, Pakistan, Australia, England, and South Africa are the countries with the highest participation in the sport. The governing body of cricket is International Cricket Council (ICC), and it is in charge of planning important competitions including the Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup, and the Cricket World Cup.
The ICC earned $2.7 billion in total income between 2015 and 2019, according to a study by ESPNCricinfo. This sum includes earnings from sponsorships, ticket sales, and broadcasting rights. Yet, the analysis also demonstrates that the money made from cricket is not allocated fairly, with India earning the biggest share of the money. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made $405 million in income in 2018, which was more than double what any other cricket board made.
In conclusion, while being a well-liked sport in several nations, cricket still lacks behind football in terms of profitability. Millions of people play and watch football worldwide, making it a genuinely international sport. Compared to the whole cricket business, the English Premier League alone brings considerably more money. Cricket, however, still has the potential to expand and bring in more money, particularly if it gains popularity in nations outside of its historical strongholds.