Love what you do, or do what you love. But what do you do when what you love is watching football? Fear not because there are surprisingly many great ways to make money from your passion for football, and quite a few aren’t the boring 9-to-5 type either.
Of course, we will not sugarcoat anything – many of the suggestions below are in pretty competitive niches, and success isn’t guaranteed. However, if football is your passion, you believe you have the necessary skill set, and you’re willing to give it a shot, any of the eight suggestions below can provide either a nice side income or even develop into a whole new career.
1 – Blogging
We rarely see blogging as a money-making career choice nowadays. And it’s certainly more often just a hobby than anything else. However, even in this era of the internet, a good blog can still be profitable, especially if its content is worthwhile and you know how to monetize it. Clearly, we’re not saying it will be easy or that eventual success is guaranteed – far from it. However, if you’re passionate about football, love writing, and have some time to spare, starting a blog may well end up being one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
2 – Vlogging
Video blogging, or vlogging, is another great option if you love discussing football and want to make money out of it. However, it does require having some screen presence, as not everyone does great in front of the camera. Additionally, if you think you’d go with vlogging cause you don’t like writing, keep in mind that for most vlogs, you’d still want to write down your scripts before shooting the video.
Vlogs also often have a different type of audience from blogs, as some people prefer written content, whereas others prefer to watch or listen to things. So, a fair bit of consideration must be made before you pick between blogging and vlogging. Fundamentally, however, the two are very similar, and both can be profitable if you have a suitable business model.
3 – Start a Podcast
Podcasts can be seen as an offshoot of vlogging, but they are also different in many ways. For one, a podcast is typically much longer and with a more open format. They are also more focused on the entertainment value, with sprinkles of information here and there, while vlogs are usually more concise. A podcast is also more likely to require a larger team of people. This makes podcasts an excellent option for groups of friends who all share a love for football and love chatting about it.
4 – Sports Photography
Onto an entirely different medium, sports photography can be a great career whether you’re a freelancer or part of a magazine or other medium. Either way, it requires a knack for photography and a love for traveling. If both are true for you, however, this can be an excellent way to fulfill your passion for watching live football matches while also making a good bit of cash.
5 – Start a Football Merch Business
Sports merchandise licensing can be complicated, and we can’t possibly explain it all in a single article. But, suffice it to say, there are plenty of ways to start a legitimate and profitable sports merch business. For example, a successful blogging, vlogging, or podcast career can easily lead to deals with more prominent brands. You can create, sell, and ship your own merchandise, though dropshipping others’ products is also an option.
6 – Get Into Sports Journalism
Blogging and vlogging can be seen as a type of journalism, and we have no intention of undervaluing that. However, sports journalism for more prominent publications is a different type of job, and it can bring you much more stability and security than just managing an independent blog or vlog. At the same time, becoming a recognized journalist is much more complicated and often takes years. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to move from having some blogging success to journalism for bigger media companies.
7 – Become a Football Analyst and Researcher
If writing or jumping in front of the camera isn’t for you, but you love football, research, and data, becoming a football analyst can be a great career choice. However, there is a good bit of competition in the field, and it requires a great deal of research. Nevertheless, it can be rewarding for the right people and earn you a lot of money.
8 – Get Into Sports Betting
Sports betting is a type of gambling, and, as such, it often gets a bad rep. Of course, if you’ve ever tried online gambling, you know that it’s far safer than most people assume. There are even games and sites where you can initially play for free as they require no deposit to claim.
Sports betting is generally safer than other kinds of online gambling, however, as it is much less about luck and more about data, research, and careful investments. Yes, betting on every individual match always has an element of risk – even when a certain result seems inevitable, there are often surprises, hence why we love the sport.
However, by carefully calculating the odds on numerous matches and placing bets wisely, a good bettor can statistically guarantee a profit week in and week out. Even then, sports betting is usually best left as a side income or a hobby, but it can be a decent side income source when done right.
One of the best things about the eight suggestions above is how different they are. Yes, they all have to do with football, but many require entirely different skill sets. There are options for people who like to do research and analyze raw stats, options for those who love to write, options for people who love to talk and be in front of the camera, and options for those who’d rather stay behind the lens but want to travel and watch live games.
Furthermore, while some can be solo career options, several can become even more successful – and easier – if you team up with others. So, while writing a blog or recording a vlog may sound like a fun solo endeavor, don’t overlook the idea of collaborating with a fellow football fan.
