Manchester United received the greatest share of revenue from the English Premier League for the 2017-18 season, despite finishing as runner-up to rival Manchester City, it has been revealed.
The figures come as the Premier League confirmed the value of payments of broadcast and central commercial revenues to clubs for the 2017-18 season. A total of £2,419,583,748 (€2.75bn/$3.29bn) was paid out to Premier League clubs for the second season of the current rights cycle, compared to £2,398,575,773 in 2016-17.
The Premier League employs a system whereby 50 per cent of UK broadcast revenues are equally shared, £34,812,558 in 2017-18; 25 per cent shared based on how often a club’s matches are broadcast in the UK, also known as facility fees; and 25 per cent shared based on where a club finish in the league table through merit payments.
Central commercial revenues are equally shared by clubs, representing £4,838,892 per team for last season; as are international broadcasting revenues, which amounted to £40,771,108 per club in 2017-18.
United topped the table with a total payment of £149,767,145. This was mainly thanks to having 28 UK live matches, two more than City, resulting in facility fee payments of £32,650,495 compared to its rival’s £30,390,736. City received a total payment of £149,438,654, with its merit payment amounting to £38,625,360 for finishing as champion.
Liverpool also had 28 UK live games, allowing it to finish third in the revenue table with £145,904, 609. Tottenham Hotspur had 25 UK live games and gained £144,446,238.
At the other end of the scale, West Bromwich Albion finished bottom of the league to be relegated to the Championship, but still picked up £94,666,492 in payments. Chelsea secured a payment of more than £150.8m for winning the Premier League in 2016-17.
Disclosure of the payments come as multiple reports last month said clubs will be required to make a final decision this summer on proposed reforms to the system by which broadcast rights revenue is distributed.
UK newspaper The Telegraph said Premier League executive chairman, Richard Scudamore, told clubs at the quarterly shareholders’ meeting that the dispute over their 2019-22 overseas broadcast revenue must be resolved at its annual general meeting in June.
In October, plans by the Premier League’s so-called ‘big six’ to drive through major reform to the way broadcast rights revenue is distributed were shelved, with the top division of English football stating it had become clear that there was currently no consensus for change.
The Premier League cancelled a meeting of shareholders scheduled for October 25 as it became apparent that opposition to the plan would mean that no deal would be reached. The announcement came after a meeting scheduled to discuss the new media-rights distribution model was adjourned on October 4 without an agreement having been reached.
A proposal presented by Scudamore suggested that 35 per cent of the global rights revenue should be divided between the clubs based on their final league position. Currently the rights income is split equally between the 20 clubs, but the six richest clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – have reportedly been pushing for a larger share.