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West Ham have returned to Deloitte's Top 20 rich list - for the first time in a decade.

For the first time since the 2005/06 season the Hammers have earned a place in the annual Football Money League, a list of the world's highest-earning clubs as published by Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

The only new entrants (in 20th place) on this year's list - which uses data from the 2014/15 season - West Ham's revenue for the period in question was €160.9million (£124million), up from €139.3million (£107.5million) in 2013/14.

Key to West Ham's return to the Rich List was a nine per cent increase in commercial revenue (up from £21.6m to £23.5m) and a new sponsorship deal with gambling firm Betway, worth around £6million per annum - twice the value of the previous arrangement with Alpari.

And the club's increased broadcasting revenue - up from £75.4million to £79million (a rise of 3.9 per cent) means the Hammers earned more from TV than established European giants such as AC Milan and recent Champions League runners-up Athletico Madrid.



Although Deloitte's maintained that West Ham's return to the big money league was predominantly the result of increasing broadcast revenue, they believe it is also "a positive reflection of the work being done within the club".

And the impending move to Stratford, with the increased revenue that will ensure, should help the club to maintain its position in the Rich List for the foreseeable future.

"As the Hammers prepare to bid farewell to Upton Park, a combination of the aforementioned commercial gains, as well as the expected increases in matchday and
broadcast revenue as of 2016/17, should see the club consolidate its position in the Money League top 20 in the medium term, and even overtake some of the club’s continental competitors," said Deloitte.

* Just 19 per cent of the top 20 clubs' revenue was earned from matchday sources (ticket sales, catering etc) - whilst 40 per cent was sourced from broadcasting rights and the remaining 41 per cent from commercial activities.

That figure is down from almost a third (32 per cent) just ten years ago and represents the lowest share of annual income since Deloitte's began publishing their Rich List 19 years ago.

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