Arsenal and Tottenham not maximising YouTube revenues like Manchester City | OneFootball

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been identified as two Premier League clubs that could significantly increase their revenue potential on YouTube by shifting their content strategy.

As platforms like YouTube become more central to clubs’ engagement with fans, monetisation through long-form video content is becoming increasingly important, yet both North London rivals are underperforming compared to their peers, notably Manchester City.

According to Rob Kelly, Head of Content Strategy at Little Dot Sport, while Premier League clubs have collectively garnered impressive viewership numbers, many are not capitalising on YouTube’s full revenue potential.

With clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham, and others lagging behind, there are clear opportunities to boost revenue by optimising content to meet YouTube’s evolving viewer demands.

Arsenal’s YouTube monetisation potential falls short

Arsenal, with a massive global fanbase and world-class players, has the potential to be one of the top earners on YouTube. However, they are missing out on a golden opportunity to maximise their social revenue streams.

Arsenal has posted only 21.7% of their content as videos longer than eight minutes since the start of last season, according to Kelly’s research. Long-form content is key to unlocking mid-roll advertising on YouTube, offering significantly higher CPMs and better opportunities to monetise.

By comparison, Premier League champions Manchester City top the table with over 12 long-form videos per week, utilising a strategy that drives higher engagement and revenue.

Arsenal, however, has only scratched the surface of its YouTube monetisation potential, with match highlights—due to rights restrictions—often not reaching the eight-minute mark, thereby limiting ad revenue.

Tottenham also trailing behind in social revenue generation

Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in a similar position to Arsenal. With only 17.5% of their YouTube content exceeding eight minutes, Spurs are not fully capitalising on the platform’s monetisation tools, either.

Little Dot Sport’s research points to missed opportunities for both North London clubs. As Kelly notes, “YouTube’s audience has well and truly pivoted towards long-form content, with viewership on Connected TV growing from 6% in 2019 to 13% in 2023, while TV watch time has jumped even further, from 10% to 29% in the same timeframe.”

How Arsenal can catch up

Arsenal have been outperformed by clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool, and even Newcastle United when it comes to optimising their YouTube content strategies. For instance, Manchester City not only leads the league in 8min+ videos but also capitalises on 15min+ content, which offers even more monetisation opportunities.

Liverpool’s “Inside Anfield” series and Chelsea’s “Trending” videos are given as examples of content that performs well and maximises viewer engagement, something Arsenal could emulate.

Conclusion

Arsenal’s approach to YouTube content has so far left significant revenue on the table.

To close the gap with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, the club will need to reassess their content strategies and embrace the shift towards longer-form content on YouTube, according to Kelly.

By making minor adjustments, Arsenal can increase their social revenues and better capitalise on the interest generated by their performances on the pitch.