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The 2025 Business of YouTube Awards - Football Leagues Edition

The Premier League Dominates YouTube, the "Saudi Surge," the "Messi Effect," and the Death of Vanity Metrics in Global Football

As we kick off 2026, we are taking a comprehensive look back at the football leagues data that defined the last year. This report, the Business of YouTube 2025 YouTube Awards: Football Leagues Edition, serves as a definitive performance review of how the world's elite leagues navigated the digital landscape over the past twelve months.

Let's get into the numbers.

Executive Summary: Market Share & Reach

The Premier League remains the undisputed heavyweight of digital attention, capturing 32.3% of all views among the top 7 leagues.

While La Liga holds the largest total audience with 13.9 million subscribers, it has struggled to convert that scale into the same level of active viewership as its English counterpart.

Section 1: The Quality vs. Quantity Debate

In the race for global eyeballs, the instinct for many sports organizations is to "flood the zone." The logic is simple: more uploads equal more views. However, the latest 2026 data reveals a different reality.

• The Efficiency Gap: The Premier League generates an average of 1,356,947 views for every single video uploaded. In contrast, La Liga averages just 89,151 views per video.

The Insight: Efficiency is the New Reach The Premier League has mastered Content Efficiency by focusing on high-value, "must-watch" clips rather than archival volume.

• A single Premier League video generates approximately 15 times the views of a La Liga video.

• A single Premier League video generates approximately 24 times the views of a Ligue 1 video.

Section 2: Growth Metrics: Freshness, Momentum, and Loyalty

Total views provide a snapshot, but "Freshness" and "Loyalty" indicate where the market is moving next.

1. The Disruptor: Saudi Pro League’s 63% Spike

While legacy giants rely on archives, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) is acting like a high-growth tech startup.

• Velocity: A staggering 63% of its total views have come in the last year.

• Market Impact: For sponsors, the SPL represents the highest velocity of new attention in real-time.

  

  Growth Velocity - The 2025 Business of YouTube Awards - Football Leagues Edition

2. The MLS "Messi Effect" Momentum

Major League Soccer is currently outperforming everyone in short-term momentum.

• Capturing "The Now": With 14.1% of its yearly views happening in the last month, MLS has moved from a seasonal league to a year-round viral interest.

• Performance: MLS (1.05 billion total views) is now punching in the same weight class as Ligue 1, despite having over 1.1 million fewer subscribers.

3. The Loyalty Index: Are Your Fans Actually Watching?

The Loyalty Index (Average Views per Subscriber) reveals the true health of a digital community.

• Premier League (792 views/sub): Fans are deeply "hooked" and return to the channel repeatedly.

• Bundesliga (580 views/sub): A masterclass in fan retention; their fans are significantly more active than La Liga's.

• The La Liga Warning (340 views/sub): Suggests a "Passive Fan" problem where the subscriber base may be inflated by historical glory rather than current content relevance.

  

  Loyalty - The 2025 Business of YouTube Awards - Football Leagues Edition

Section 3: Strategic Takeaways for Organizations

• Stop Measuring "Output": Do not judge success by the number of videos posted. Instead, measure Average Views per Video.

• Audit Your Archive: High volume can dilute your brand in the YouTube algorithm. The data suggests "less but better" is the winning formula for 2026.

• Invest in Velocity: If your "Freshness %" is low, your brand is living in the past. Prioritize new tentpole moments over archival footage.

• Beware of "Zombie Subscribers": High subscriber counts can mask low engagement. Focus on the Loyalty Index to measure true community health.

• The Efficiency Dividend: The Premier League wins because it combines the highest loyalty with the highest efficiency.

Want to discuss how to shape your collaboration strategy, talk to us.

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A veteran in the industry, Wim Ponnet has witnessed and acted in the key industries of entertainment. A very unique point of view from someone who has been involved in real business transformation, always at cutting edge areas of the entertainment industry. From Yahoo, to Endemol Shine, then investing in sport & tech.

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