Commercial revenue from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has risen by 90 percent, making the most recent tournament the most commercially successful in the competition’s history, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said. The surge followed a sharp expansion in sponsorship deals, media rights sales and international partnerships during the 2025 tournament hosted by Morocco, CAF officials said in comments reported by Reuters.
CAF noted that the number of commercial partners climbed to 23 sponsors, up from nine during the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon and 17 at the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire, reflecting stronger global appetite for African football. The football body said wider broadcast reach, including new Asian markets, and improved commercial structuring helped drive the sharp revenue increase.
The federation described the Morocco tournament as its strongest commercial performance to date, adding that AFCON is increasingly being positioned as a globally competitive sports property. CAF financial disclosures from the previous edition showed $96 million in net contract revenue, while projections for the latest tournament point to significantly higher returns, as highlighted by CAF statements cited by TheStar.
