1xBet AFCON 2025: Revenue highest in history – CAF

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the 1xBet Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 recorded the highest revenue in the history of African football.

CAF said the tournament generated over 90 per cent increase in revenue, making it the most successful commercial competition ever organised by the body.

In a statement on Thursday, CAF attributed the surge to increased sponsorship deals, expanded media rights distribution and entry into new markets, especially in Asia.

“The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 is now the most successful commercial story in African football history,” the statement said.

CAF explained that the growth was driven by more commercial partners, wider broadcast reach and expansion into markets such as China and Japan, while strengthening its presence in Europe and other traditional regions.

The football body disclosed that the number of sponsors rose from nine in AFCON 2021 (Cameroon) to 17 in AFCON 2023 (Côte d’Ivoire), and now stands at 23 sponsors for the 2025 edition.

According to CAF, the increase reflects growing global interest in the tournament and strong returns on investment for sponsors.

CAF said the commercial success followed a data-driven strategy introduced after AFCON 2023, which repositioned the competition as a global football brand.

The body added that audience research revealed strong interest in regions such as China, Japan, Brazil and parts of Europe, guiding its current commercial expansion.

CAF noted that its sponsors now come from several continents, including the United States, China, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Morocco, with the European Union also joining as a partner.

Long-time sponsors such as TotalEnergies, Orange, Visa, Puma, Tecno, 1xBet and Lonaci have retained their partnerships, while AGL, Danone and Unilever renewed their deals.