Brighton have announced a record profit of £122.8m in the 2022-23 financial year – the most successful season in the Premier League club’s history.
Profit after tax increased annually by almost £100m from £24.1m, with turnover going up by 17.2% to a record £204.5m.
Albion finished sixth in the Premier League in 2022-23, reached the FA Cup semi-finals and also brought in huge transfer fees for several key players.
The figures can help more “significant progress” on the pitch, Brighton said.
“These accounts will of course catch the eye because of the headline number,” Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said.
“In a season when we made history on the pitch we took a huge step forward in terms of the club’s long-held aim of becoming more sustainable and less reliant on [Brighton owner] Tony Bloom’s incredibly generous levels of investment.”
Brighton have made a “substantial repayment” to Bloom for the first time, added Barber.
It means the club reduced the balance on Bloom’s interest-free loans, with the first given in 2007, to £373.3m from £406.5m.
Brighton’s record profits come at a time when a number of other clubs have posted significant losses for the 2022-23 top-flight season, including Aston Villa (£120m), Chelsea (£90m), Everton (£89m), Leicester (£90m), Newcastle United (£73m), Nottingham Forest (£52m) and Wolves (£67m).
Everton and Forest have already been docked points for breaching profit and sustainability rules, while Leicester are facing similar charges.
A sizeable portion of Brighton’s income in 2022-23 was generated by their performances on the pitch and the ability to make a profit by selling players who arrived for much smaller fees.
Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi guided the club to the highest league finish in their 122-year history, as well as the FA Cup semi-finals for only the third time.
As a result, the club’s income from prize money and broadcasting revenue increased from £126.2m to £155.2m.
Selling four key players – Mali midfielder Yves Bissouma, Spain left-back Marc Cucurella, Belgium forward Leandro Trossard and Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister – led to a profit of £121.4m in transfers.
The £23m compensation received for De Zerbi’s predecessor Graham Potter, who moved to Chelsea with several of his backroom staff, also contributed to the record figures.
