Chelsea FC are set to earn a record A?99million in total price money following their Premier League title success according to official figures – the most ever earned by a single club in one season.
Around a quarter of that cash came from prize money for finishing top of the table, but the largest amount came from overseas broadcast rights, with all 20 top-flight clubs receiving over A?27.5m from that stream.
The previous years winner Manchester City had earned around A?96.5m with Liverpool FC who finished second place being the top earner on A?97.5m. Manchester City were second in the table again, this time around with A?98.5m, but Manchester United are the next highest earners (A?96.8m) despite finishing fourth since they were live on the television more than third-placed Arsenal, who are fourth in the money table with A?96.5m. Liverpool FC dropped from top earners last season to fifth ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. QPR will take A?64.9m for finishing rock bottom. This is the biggest sum ever earned by a bottom-placed club. .
Manchester United were the biggest earners from facility fees with their 27 live TV appearances bringing in just under A?21.5m.
Sky and BT Sport are paying around A?3 billion between them to show Premier League matches live in the UK across three seasons from 2013 to 2016. Foreign broadcasters around world are paying another A?2.2 billion, on top, for the same period.
The Premier League also earns money from the sales of highlights (on Match of the Day), near-live rights, clip rights, and brings in further sums from commercial deals like the one with headline sponsor Barclays. All that cash goes into one big pot and the prize money announced are the result of that.
Chelsea FC jumped from third place in the cash league last season to top and will be hoping to use the money to outfight their rivals in the transfer market with battle with Manchester United for Joao Miranda latest on the horizon.