Premier League money matters: the table that really counts in May
Points mean prizes. And money. Lots and lots of money. Only one trophy is handed out at the conclusion of the Premier League season, meaning the most tangible reward most teams are playing for over the final few weeks of the campaign is a bigger check.
Last season, each Premier League team received anywhere between £175.9m and £109.7m for their participation in the self-styled Greatest League in the World. These payouts take into account everything from league position, the number of matches broadcast on TV and commercial revenue among other factors.
The numbers for the 2024-25 season won't be released until after the end of the campaign, but last season provides an idea of what Premier League teams can expect to receive. Here's a breakdown that doesn't account for club-specific factors such as gate receipts, transfers and sponsorship deals.
Money won't be at the forefront of Arne Slot and his players' minds when Liverpool are confirmed as Premier League champions, but Fenway Sports Group (FSG) could be forgiven for counting their notes. Last season, Manchester City collected £56.4m in pure prize money (something called 'merit payments'), meaning Liverpool can expect to receive a similar payout.
On top of this, City were handed £86.9m in equal share payments from domestic and international broadcast rights. A further £24.4m was added to Manchester City's pile of broadcast cash based on the number of matches they had broadcast in the UK over the course of the season (the Premier League labels this 'facility fees').
A £8.2m share of the league's central commercial revenue streams brought City's total payout to £175.9m, the most of any team in the division. Winning the title also brings access to the following season's Champions League with qualification worth £15.7m before £1.8m for each League Phase win is factored into the equation.
If you ain't first, you're last, as Ricky Bobby famously said. Unless if you finish in the Champions League places (first to fourth, sometimes fifth depending on Uefa's coefficient rankings) in the Premier League table, in which case you're still very well remunerated.
In fact, Arsenal received more in so-called 'facility fees' than Manchester City last season - £26.9m compared to £24.4m. Factoring in prize money, equal share payments and a cut of the league's central commercial revenue, the Gunners made just £0.4m less (£175.5m in total) than the champions.
Third-place Liverpool (£25.2m) also took more in 'facility fees' than City, collecting £171m in total, with the final Champions League qualifier, Aston Villa, raking in £162.4m from the Premier League. This, of course, is before any European money is factored into the equation; Villa's run in this season's Champions League has been worth an estimated £40m to them.
These are the sort of riches Nottingham Forest are chasing. Nuno Espirito Santo's team were fighting relegation last season, but have since risen into Champions League contention. Having taken £123.3m from a 17th place finish in 2023-24, Forest stand to earn £40m to £60m more by making their place in the top five stick.
Tottenham Hotspur's fifth-place finish in 2023-24 was enough to qualify for this season's Europa League, and enough to collect £164.4m in total payments from the Premier League, which was interestingly more than Aston Villa's £162.4m despite Unai Emery's team reaching the Champions League. This was down to Spurs earning £5m more in 'facility fees', meaning they had more games broadcast on domestic TV.
Despite finishing eighth in the Premier League, Manchester United qualified for the Europa League by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. This was worth £3.6m to the Old Trafford club, but still wasn't enough to make up for the financial shortfall of a disappointing league campaign, although United still collected £156.2m in total.
Chelsea, who rallied late under Mauricio Pochettino to finish sixth and make the Conference League, took £159.2m while Newcastle United, who finished ahead of Manchester United but missed out on Europe altogether, earned £154.7m. The difference between Spurs in fifth and Manchester United in eighth amounted to just £8.4m in payments from the Premier League.
As things stand, this is the realm Chelsea, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton fall into with as many as eight different teams jostling for Champions League, Europa League and Conference League qualification. The difference between just a few places in the table can be significant.
Mid-table mediocrity is worth a lot in the Premier League, as it turns out. Indeed, a ninth-place finish for West Ham last season earned the London Stadium outfit £147.4m with Crystal Palace rewarded to the tune of £139.6m for finishing smack bang in the middle of the table (once again, the primary differentiator was 'facility fees' where West Ham collected £5m more).
From Brighton in 11th place to Wolves in 14th place, Premier League clubs collected anywhere between £136.8m to £130m. For context, Real Madrid received just €53.3m for winning the La Liga title last season, highlighting the financial might of the Premier League's mid-tier. This is how a club like Bournemouth (average attendance: 11,000) can spend £40m on a player like Evanilson.
This season, the usual mid-table equation could be disrupted by the presence of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, both of whom have endured historically bad campaigns. As 'big' clubs, they should expect to earn a lot more than the teams around them (Brentford, Palace, Everton, etc) in 'facility fees'.
Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town have had a long time to brace for the impact of relegation. However, the blow will be softened by the amount of money they will receive for just one season in the Premier League. Between this and three years of parachute payments, there's plenty in the trust fund.
Last season, Sheffield United received £109.7m for finishing bottom. Burnley took £110.1m while Luton Town collected £115.4m. Everton, who finished 15th after flirting with relegation for much of the season, were handed £20.2m in 'facility fees' which was more than any of the six teams above them in the table up to Manchester United. Their struggles made for good TV.
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