BDO Latvia conducts significant economic impact studies for the national sports sector
BDO Latvia conducts significant economic impact studies for the national sports sector
BDO Latvia continues to strengthen its expertise in sports economics by completing two major economic impact studies for the Latvian Football Federation and the Latvian Basketball Association. These projects provide clear, data-driven evidence of the economic value generated by sport in Latvia and support sector organisations in making informed strategic decisions.
Economic impact analysis of the Latvian football sector
BDO Latvia carried out a comprehensive assessment of financial flows within the Latvian football ecosystem, including public funding, FIFA and UEFA contributions, infrastructure investments, commercial revenues and player transfer income.
Key findings
- The football sector in 2025 generates an additional 36.5 million EUR in GVA and 54.8 million EUR in GDP impact.
- Public funding allocated to the LFF and coaching programmes generates 8.2 million EUR GVA and 10.75 million EUR GDP.
- International funding (FIFA and UEFA) generates 11.6 million EUR GVA and 16.6 million EUR GDP.
- Infrastructure investments of 13.5 million EUR generate 6.1 million EUR GVA and 10.2 million EUR GDP.
- Commercial revenues totalling 21.6 million EUR generate 9.2 million EUR GVA and 15 million EUR GDP.
The study clearly demonstrates that the football sector acts as an important driver of economic activity, where each category of financial inflows produces a strong multiplier effect across the Latvian economy.
Economic impact analysis of EuroBasket 2025
BDO Latvia prepared an ex-post assessment of the economic impact of EuroBasket in Latvia, evaluating the return on public investment, commercial revenue performance, tax contributions and the effects generated by businesses involved in the event.
Key results
- Total direct economic and tax impact reached 37.3 million EUR.
- Public funding of 11.4 million EUR generated 5.1 million EUR GVA, 7.4 million EUR GDP and 0.29 million EUR in tax revenue.
- Commercial revenues of 13.3 million EUR generated 7.1 million EUR GVA, 10.6 million EUR GDP and 3.3 million EUR in tax effect.
- Additional business activity contributed 0.64 million EUR in tax revenue.
- VAT impact totalled 1.04 million EUR, while payroll tax impact reached 1.86 million EUR.
The study confirms that hosting international sporting events delivers substantial economic returns to the national economy, stimulating consumption, tax revenue and business activity across multiple sectors.
BDO Latvia’s contribution to sector development
BDO Latvia’s analytical approach is grounded in the EU Sport Satellite Account framework, supported by precise GVA and GDP multipliers and detailed financial flow mapping. This ensures that sports federations and public institutions receive reliable, evidence-based insights for future planning and investment decisions.