This report examines the economic contribution of professional football to the Scottish economy during the 2023-24 season. It was commissioned by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) – the bodies responsible for organising top-tier league football in Scotland – together with the Scottish Football Association (Scottish FA), the governing body for the sport. The analysis was prepared independently by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde.
Professional football is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy and a major part of the sport and recreation sector. The sport holds a unique place in Scotland’s cultural landscape, with over 6.8 million attendances annually at matches involving Scottish professional football teams and international matches, and the Premiership boasting the highest average weekly attendance per-capita in Europe.
In this report, we consider three scenarios to estimate the economic contribution of professional football in Scotland:
- Scottish professional football sector and spectator spending (gross) – includes the supply chain spending of the Scottish professional football sector, along with the economic impact of spectator spending associated with matches.
- Scottish professional football sector and spectator spending (net) – adjusts the gross impacts to account for potential ‘crowding out’, whereby spending by Scottish residents attending matches substitutes for other domestic economic activities.
- Scottish professional football sector – captures the supply chain spending of Scottish football clubs and related organisations.
Using our model of the Scottish economy that describes inter-industry economic relationships, we estimate how much Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment professional football supports in the Scottish economy. Our economic modelling finds that:
- During the 2023-24 season, once spillover effects are included – encompassing direct, indirect, and induced impacts – the Scottish professional football sector and spectator spending (gross) supports 14,315 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs and the contribution of £820 million in GVA to the Scottish economy.
- After adjusting for spending that is not additional to the Scottish economy, the Scottish professional football sector and spectator spending (net) supports 12,575 FTE jobs and contributes £660 million in GVA to the Scottish economy.
- The economic activity of the Scottish professional football sector supports 9,245 FTE jobs and the contribution of £545 million in GVA to the Scottish economy.
While this report analyses the 2023-24 season, its publication coincides with an especially exciting period for Scottish football: the men’s national team’s first World Cup qualification in 28 years and Glasgow’s preparations to host Euro 2028 matches at Hampden Park. These events underscore the cultural significance of football and highlight the need for rigorous economic impact assessments.
Authors
Jack is an associate economist at the Fraser of Allander Institute.
Aidan is a Knowledge Exchange Assistant at the Fraser of Allander Institute.
Lise Oakley
Lise is an Economics Futures summer placement student at the FAI. She recently completed an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Glasgow and is an incoming student at the University of Edinburgh for the MSc Economics course.
Grant Allan is a Reader in the Department of Economics. Grant's research interests in applied multisectoral economic analysis and modelling, particularly in the areas of environment, energy and tourism.
Mairi is the Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute. Previously, she was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Head of National Accounts at the Scottish Government and has over a decade of experience working in different areas of statistics and analysis.