Crystal Palace
Financial Results 2023/24
Summary
On Pitch
Turnover
Staff
Profit
Assets
Trading
Debt
Cash
Info.
Summary
On Pitch
Turnover
Staff
Profit
Assets
Trading
Debt
Cash
Info.
Summary
Crystal Palace's latest published accounts cover the 2023/24 season, the eleventh consecutive season in the Premier League. The club finished 1oth in the Premier League matching their highest ever finish and reached the third round of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
Read matchday finance's analysis of these results.
Financial results for the 2024/25 season are expected to be released in April 2026.
Trends
Summary
The 2023–24 campaign marked Manchester United’s 137th season, their 32nd in the Premier League and their 49th straight year in England’s top flight. It was also their second season under manager Erik ten Hag.
On Pitch Performance
Turnover
Revenue derived from the club’s main operations, excluding player transfer income. The key sources include matchday income (ticket sales), central broadcasting distributions (from the Premier League and UEFA), and commercial income (such as sponsorships, merchandising, and other business activities).
Turnover - Matchday
Matchday revenue is influenced by factors such as the number of home games, average attendance, ticket prices, and the club's ability to generate income from hospitality events and corporate boxes. The only exception to this is domestic cup matches, where revenue is shared between the clubs and the FA.
Turnover - Broadcast
Broadcast revenue comes from central distributions from the Premier League, UEFA payments for participation in European tournaments and income generated through the club’s media platform.
Of the Premier League distributions, 67% is evenly distributed among all clubs, with the remainder based on league position (merit payments) and the number of televised live games (facility fees). For more information check out our blog Premier League Broadcast Distribution for Season 2023/24.
UEFA Revenues are allocated through three pillars: an equal participation share, prize money based on performance, and a value component derived from the size of the TV market (with the UK being the largest) and a club coefficient reflecting results over the past five seasons. Approximately 75% of revenues are distributed to Champions League's participants, 15% to the Europa League and 10% to the Europa Conference League.
No European participation.
Turnover - Commercial
Commercial revenue includes sponsorships, retail merchandising, tours, and other commercial activities.
Premier League clubs will be banned from displaying betting company logos and names on the front of shirts starting in the 2026/27 season.
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Staff Costs
Staff costs include salaries and wages paid to all employees, the amortisation of transfer fees (spreading the cost of a player’s acquisition costs over the length of their contract), and any impairments (incurred when a player’s estimated current market value falls below their book value).
Staff costs as a percentage of turnover is a key indicator of a club’s financial sustainability. This ratio reflects how likely a club is to rely on player sales to reduce losses and comply with profit and sustainability regulations. A high ratio increases the risk of significant losses if player sales do not generate sufficient profit. UEFA’s Financial Sustainability Regulations include an adjusted ‘squad cost ratio’, and the Premier League is also set to trial a similar measure in the 2026/27 season.
Profit from Player Sales
A profit is generated on a player transfer when the net proceeds (transfer fee received minus any related costs) exceed the player’s net book value — the original transfer fee gradually reduced through amortisation. For academy graduates, whose acquisition cost is zero, the full transfer fee is recognised as profit.
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Profit and Loss
The key measures of profitability are:
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EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation) is calculated as total revenue minus the club’s regular operating expenses and typically reflects the cash flows generated by the club.
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Operating Profit is derived from EBITDA after accounting for non-cash expenses, including depreciation of fixed assets and amortisation of player transfer fees.
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Profit Before Tax adjusts operating profit for profits from player sales, exceptional one-off items, and net interest expenses
Many clubs rely on non-operating income—such as player transfers or asset sales (for example, women’s teams)—to comply with profit and sustainability rules.
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Net Assets
Net assets represent the difference between total assets and total liabilities and correspond to the club’s net equity.
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Assets include fixed assets—such as player registrations, facilities, and goodwill—as well as current assets like trade debtors, transfer fees receivable, and cash.
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Liabilities comprise loans (from banks, shareholders, or group companies), transfer fees payable, trade creditors, deferred income (for example, advance season ticket sales), and other financial provisions.
Some clubs have negative equity, which technically means they do not have sufficient assets to cover their debts. However, this is often the result of shareholder loans, which are commonly later converted into equity.
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Player Trading
Net player trading is the difference between player acquisition costs and income from player sales. Acquisition costs include transfer fees, agent commissions, and intermediary expenses.
Squad Costs
Net Book Value is the total acquisition cost less accumulated amortisation (the write down of the player’s acquisition costs over the length of their contract) and reflects the remaining book value of the squad based.
Squad Cost is the total acquisition cost of the current squad.
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Football Debt
Football Net Debt is the total amount owed by the club to third parties. This includes traditional loans, such as bank borrowings (net of cash holdings), loans from owners, and loans from related entities (for example, a parent company). It also covers any outstanding transfer fees owed to other clubs net of transfer fees receivable.
Note that shareholder loans (related-party loans) are often later converted into equity.
Loans
Transfer Debt
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Cash Flow
Cash Flows are reported in three categories:
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Cash Flows from Operations refer to cash generated from the club’s core activities—revenue minus day-to-day costs such as salaries, rent, and utilities. It excludes non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortisation and is measured before investment or financing activity.
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Cash Flows from Investments include cash spent on player acquisitions and facility improvements, net of player or asset sales. It reflects actual cash movements—for example, a £10 million transfer paid over four years would result in £2.5 million per year.
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Cash Flows from Financing cover new loans or equity raised, less repayments or buybacks. If operational cash flow cannot fund investments, the shortfall is usually met through financing.
Cash Flow - Investments
Cash Flow - Financing
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Information
Ownership
Crystal Palace are owned by a consortium of investors, rather than a single majority owner, and this structure has been in place since the club was rescued from administration in 2010.
The largest shareholder was John Textor, the American businessman behind Eagle Football Holdings, who owned around 45% of the club. Textor also held interests in several other clubs, including Olympique Lyonnais, Botafogo and RWD Molenbeek. This multi-club ownership created a conflict when both Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais qualified for the Europa League at the end of the 2024/25 season. Although Textor subsequently sold his shares in Crystal Palace, the transaction was completed too late to prevent the club being reassigned to the Europa Conference League.
Crystal Palace is now owned by a group of American investors, primarily Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, who purchased a significant stake from Textor in mid-2025, joining existing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, alongside Chairman Steve Parish, who runs the club day-to-day. Johnson acquired a 43% share, making him the largest individual shareholder, while Harris and Blitzer each hold about 18%, and Parish holds over 10%.
Reporting Entity
This report is based on the entity Palace Holdco UK Limited for a 12-month period from 1st July 2023 to 30th June 2024. This is the parent company of CPFC 2010 Limited which in turn owns and operates the football club itself, including the men’s first team, academy and commercial activities. In addition Palace Holdco UK Limited own CPFC (Womens) Limited and CPFC Selhurst Park which owns and manages the stadium operation. Both these companies are included in these consolidated accounts.
Stadium - Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is the home of Crystal Palace Football Club, located in Selhurst, South London, and has been the club’s stadium since 1924. With a capacity of around 25,500, the ground maintains a compact and intimate atmosphere, with fans close to the pitch, creating a vocal and passionate home support.
Crystal Palace has long-term ambitions to redevelop or expand Selhurst Park to meet modern Premier League standards. Proposed plans have included increased capacity, modern hospitality, and community spaces, though progress has been constrained by local planning restrictions, financial considerations, and the need for consensus among the club’s owners.
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