Manchester United is world's most valuable football brand at USD 1.2 billion

Manchester United is now the world's most valuable football club brand , worth $1.2 billion, deposing German sports club Bayern Munich.

According to a Brand Finance consultancy report, the Old Trafford club's brand is valued the most despite not winning any trophies last year.

Bayern Munich stands is the second most valuable football club brand while Real Madrid takes the third spot. FC Barcelona, the winner of Champions League (on May 7), is the sixth most valuable club at $773 million.

Six football clubs in the top ten are English. No Italian team finds a place in the top list. Paris St-Germain is at the ninth spot in terms of brand value.

"Even if recent reports of fan losses are to be believed, United retains legions of followers in India, South East Asia and China, contributing to a total of over half a billion individuals and the news certainly does not appear to have deterred sponsors," Brand Finance said in its report.

Sponsors continue to pose faith in its brand value. The club's brand value has shot up by 63 per cent since 2014, said the report.

The UK broadcast rights of the Premier League have been taken for a record 5.1 billion pounds, which is being seen as the brand renewal of Manchester United club.