In this paper we empirically analyse the factors explaining the degree of media visibility in four major European football leagues, by means of an econometric model in which the dependent variable (media visibility of clubs) is estimated on the basis of the relative and aggregate wages of the competition. Controlling for other factors, the analysis enables us to study the way in which a club could improve its media exposure through greater investment in talent. By applying the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, we furthermore examine the extent to which differences between football clubs regarding interest in the media is due to varying resources allocations, or else to an increased media attention (estimated ‘betas’) as a reaction to changes in such allocations. Our findings suggest that a club’s media visibility is greatly determined by its environment, that is, by the domestic competition in which it participates. Finally, policy implications that may be drawn from these findings are discussed.