Leeds United's Premier League prize money revealed as nine-figure cost of relegation highlighted - YEP 1/6/22
Leeds United are set to report an approximate £116 million in broadcast revenue and merit payments in their 2021/22 accounts
By Joe Donnohue
Leeds United’s summer plans would have been left in tatters
if not for their final-day result against Brentford just over a week ago.
Instead, Burnley ended up occupying the final relegation
place, succumbing to second-tier football, whilst Leeds celebrated ferociously
at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Severe doubt would have been cast on the pre-planned
addition of £25 million USMNT international Brenden Aaronson had Leeds been
relegated, with the club no longer willing to fork out such a substantial sum
if not propped up by Premier League revenues.
The disparity between television deals, potential commercial
partnerships and merit payments between the Premier League and EFL Championship
is stark but Leeds have, this time, fallen on the right side and will play
top-flight football for at least another season.
There is considerable significance to playing Premier League
football again next year; not solely the prestige and acclaim that comes with
membership of English football’s elite.
Financially, the incentive of being a Premier League side is
enormous - perhaps more lucrative than any other top-flight division around the
world owing to the revenues which are generated.
Premier League season over, so who have been the winners in terms of prize money. For domestic broadcast deal 50% of the sum is split evenly, 25% based on 'facility' (number of times chosen by TV) & 25% on final league position, with bottom side getting 1 share and top 20 shares. pic.twitter.com/fKw05sD0fp
— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) May 24, 2022
Norwich City - who finished the season bottom of the pile -
are on course to report in excess of £100 million from broadcast revenue and
merit payments in their 2021/22 accounts.
These accounts will not be released until some time next
year, but football finance expert Kieran Maguire has calculated, based on
previously reported earnings, how much each team competing in the 2021/22
Premier League season is likely to earn.
Leeds United’s 17th-place finish fell some way short of the
top-half tilt during their first campaign back in the top flight, but it is
still set to earn the club £116.1 million, according to Maguire.
Combining the £81.5 million equal share payment and £5.9
million commercial payment made to all Premier League clubs, along with
facility fees and competition prize money totalling £28.7 million, Leeds will
cover the vast majority of player wages and last summer’s transfer fees with
Premier League earnings alone.
Compared to sides around Leeds in the table, United earned
more owing to the number of times their matches were televised.
In this instance, teams are owed ‘facility fees’, which
Leeds are estimated to make £19.0 million from during 2021/22. During previous
Championship campaigns, Leeds’ total revenue from domestic and international
broadcasters did not come close to surpassing £19.0 million, never mind the
£87.4 million awarded to clubs simply for participating.
Owing to an inflated number of games selected for broadcast
and a stronger finishing position, champions Manchester City earned in excess
of £160 million during the most recent Premier League campaign, highlighting
the significance of a team’s finishing position but, most importantly, the
value of a team’s Premier League membership.
