Uefa prize money tops $2B
UEFA has announced big increases in Champions League prize money topping $2 billion next season, to be paid out in a new system favoring elite clubs with most historical success.
Three-time defending champion Real Madrid is already sure to earn more than $60 million, plus a share of Spanish television rights money, before playing a game next season.
The 32 Champions League teams kicking off in the group stage in September will share a prize fund of $2.28 billion, up from $1.6 billion this season, UEFA said Tuesday.
A new distribution system sees 30 percent — $683 million — of the fund now allocated via a points table ranking teams by 10 years of UEFA competition results and European trophies won since the 1950s.
It changes a system that better rewarded clubs from the most valuable broadcasting markets, such as England and Italy, by giving them a larger share of those rights deals, known as “market pool” money.
Leicester earned more from UEFA in the 2016-17 season than eventual winner Real Madrid, in part because the first-time English champion earned $57 million in television money alone while reaching the quarterfinals. Madrid got $30.5 million from a less valuable Spanish TV deal that had to be shared among five clubs.
Now, a smaller slice of the British and Italian TV money will go directly to their clubs, and some goes into the prize pot rewarding past titles. Also, a surprise English champion like Leicester with little track record in European competitions would now go near the bottom of the historical rankings.
Madrid is top-ranked among the 32 teams next season and will get 32 shares worth $1.3 million, totaling $41.4 million. The 32ndranked team will get one share.
Fifth-ranked Manchester United will get 28 shares worth $36.2 million. Other clubs set to benefit from the new system include Benfica, Porto, Liverpool and Inter Milan.
UEFA also retains the existing five-year ranking of European results as a separate indicator to decide seedings in the groupstage draw held in August. /