Report: Man United Value Soars at World-Best $4.8B Despite On-Field Issues
While it's been mostly doom and gloom for Manchester United on the pitch this season, things are booming off it and the club are enjoying the best financial period of their storied history.
According to Forbes, the Red Devils' publicly traded shares on the New York Exchange have gone up 55% over the last year.
In fact, they hit a high of $26.05 (£20.02) the very day they lost 3-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
Monday's reverse marked the worst home defeat in Jose Mourinho's coaching career and was the team's second straight loss for the season, with Brighton having beaten them 3-2 in their previous match. Yet business looks very good for the Manchester outfit, despite the potential crisis on their hands, from a sporting vantage point.
The figures mentioned above have taken United's value to a record $4.8bn (£3.69bn) and they're now on par with the Dallas Cowboys as the most valuable sports teams in the world, per Forbes' rankings.
The Red Devils generated the most revenue during the 2016/17 season, with £566.52m, and recorded nearly 50% more operating income than any other football team. Their commercial revenue is the highest in the world as it relates to the world of football and has grown by 19% over the past five years.
United signed their first-ever shirt-sleeve sponsorship deal during the summer and will make £19.22m a year from their agreement with American plumbing company Kohler. They have also reached deals with mobile betting brand MoPlay and Scotch whiskey Chivas Regal.
In total, the Old Trafford side has 23 global partners for the current season. It also has nine regional partners, as well as 13 financial partners and 20 media partners.
