The Premier League's popularity both at home and abroad allows it to be an important part of the UK economy.
More than £3.3billion in tax has been generated for the UK government by the Premier League in each of the past three years.
Of that figure, the players alone contributed £1.1billion.
The Premier League's impact
- £3.3bn in tax generated by the PL in each of the last three years
- £7.6bn contributed by the League to the UK's Gross Domestic Product
- 12,000 people directly employed by PL clubs
- Almost 100,000 jobs supported by the League
- 150 clubs across the UK supported by the League in their delivery of programmes in their communities
- Almost 700,000 people visit the UK to visit a Premier League club
EY's Economic and Social Impact Assessment also found that the League contributed £7.6billion to the UK's Gross Domestic Product, estimated through the Gross Value Added (GVA) it generates.
There are 12,000 people directly employed by the 20 Premier League clubs, while in 2016/17, the League supported almost 100,000 full-time equivalent jobs across the UK, according to the report.
Most of these jobs were underpinned by the League's substantial supply chains.
The benefits are felt across the whole of England and Wales with the EY report finding that in the North West, the League and its clubs contributed £2bn in Gross Value Added.
Going beyond the Premier League
League funding also goes way beyond the 20 PL clubs.
For example, Plymouth Argyle, located more than 100 miles from any Premier League club, is one of 150 clubs in the UK benefiting from Premier League funding.
In 2016/17, Argyle received more than £1m from the Premier League which helped to fund their academy as well as their charitable foundation.
With fans from overseas being passionate followers of the competition, the Premier League also has a massive impact on incoming tourism figures.
Just under 700,000 people travel to the UK for the purpose of visiting a Premier League club with a significant proportion travelling outside of London, providing a major boost to regional tourism.
Globally recognised
"The Premier League is a globally recognised brand, built upon high-quality football," says EY chief economist Mark Gregory. "The League's global success feeds into its capacity to generate economic and social returns within the UK.
"The strength of the Premier League broadcast offering, which is based on a committed global fanbase, is key to its success.
"The Premier League has also become an active member of the global community, presenting many commercial opportunities for the UK.
"Our latest report clearly shows that a successful Premier League is good not just for football but for the country as a whole."
Also in this series
Part 1: This is Premier League: The global game
Part 3: This is Premier League: Commitment to communities
Part 4: This is Premier League: Developing homegrown talent
Part 5: This is Premier League: Keeping tickets affordable
Part 6: This is Premier League: Tackling discrimination
