This was in spite of a near 10 per cent decline in revenue from the key European region.

Analysis of the football governing body's financial reports since 2007 reveals that revenue from television broadcasting rights to Brazil 2014 crept ahead by just 0.9 per cent compared with South Africa 2010 - from $2.405 billion (£1.620 billion/€2.241 billion) to $2.426 billion (£1.634 billion/€2.260 billion).

The advance was attributable to increases from Asia/North Africa and also the Americas and the Caribbean.

These offset declines from Europe and the rest of the world.

While the hefty 20 per cent Asia/North Africa advance might be considered mildly surprising, the pattern is otherwise as might have been expected, given the differing time-zones in which the two competitions were played.

Revenue from Europe dipped 9.5 per cent from $1.289 billion (£868 million/€1.201 billion) to $1.167 billion (£786 million/€1.087 million).

As a consequence, the traditional heartland of the game fell below the 50 per cent threshold in 2014, contributing 48.1 per cent of overall TV revenue from the Brazilian competition, against 53.6 per cent four years earlier, when the South African time-zone was more readily compatible with peak European viewing hours.

FIFA earned slightly more in TV revenue from the World Cup in Brazil than the tournament in South Africa but European revenue dropped ©Getty Images



Revenue from Asia/North Africa climbed from $503.5 million (£339 million/€469 million) for 2010 to $604 million (£407 million/€562 million).

North America and the Caribbean advanced 16 per cent from $211.1 million (£142 million/€197 million) to $245.2 million (£165.1 million/€228.3 million).

Meanwhile, revenue from South and Central America rose from $329.3 million (£221.7 million/€306.6 million) to $355.8 million (£239.4 million/€331 million) - equivalent to a surprisingly modest eight per cent, given that this was the 2014 competition's home region.

The decline in the Rest of the World amounted to a sharp 25 per cent - from $71.7 million (£48 million/€66.7 million) to $54 million (£36.3 million/€50.2 million).

The financial accounts also reveal that FIFA paid marginally less sales commission related to broadcasting rights deals than during the 2010 cycle - $109.9 million (£74 million/€102.2 million), compared with $115.5 million (£77.7 million/€107.4 million).

FIFA's six main sponsors - the FIFA Partners - paid the governing body $708.5 million (£476.7 million/€659.2 million) over the four-year Brazil 2014 cycle, up from $594 million (£400 million/€553 million) over the four preceding years.

This implies that the average sum paid by each of the six - Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Emirates, Sony and Visa - rose from $99 million (£66.7 million/€92.1 million) to $118 million (£79.4 million/€110 million).

Two of these, Emirates and Sony, are no longer FIFA Partners, while Russia's Gazprom has joined the remaining quartet.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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