Sport is unquestionably about winning. No one would ever protest otherwise, although not everybody involved in sport is there for the winning. Nevertheless, that does eradicate the importance of everything that comes with being a professional sports franchise. In fact, the two go hand-in-hand.
The reason why Manchester United are one of the most successful teams on the pitch is that they are one of the most successful off it. Commercially, financially and reputationally, United are one of the biggest teams in world football. They have fans across the world, especially in Asia, rake in incredible revenue, and have world-class facilities.