How much is each Premier League position worth in prize money?
The final day of the season will see plenty of teams battle for position in the Premier League table
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Your support makes all the difference.For the first time in its history, the final day of the Premier League season will see the title race, European positions and relegation battle all settled on the last weekend of the campaign.
But whether it is Manchester City and Liverpool competing for the title, Tottenham and Arsenal fighting for fourth, Manchester United looking to hold on to sixth place from West Ham, or Leeds United and Burnley trying to avoid the drop, there are more than just those eight clubs with something to play for.
Premier League position, even for the teams who finish in mid-table, has a say on the prize money awarded to teams at the end of the season - and with the Premier Legaue’s TV deal worth an approximate £3 billion over its current three-year cycle, that equates to a significant fee.
There are millions on the line, therefore, even for the clubs who technically have nothing to play for.
Here’s breakdown on how it all works:
How much is each Premier League position worth?
According to estimates for the 2020/21 season compiled by the football finance expert Swiss Ramble, there was a difference of around £65 million in prize money handed out to last season’s champions Manchester City (£160m) and bottom club Sheffield United (£95m).
The majority of income the Premier League receives and shares with clubs is through their domestic and worldwide TV agreements and most of the pot is split equally between the clubs - regardless of league position.
Around 50 per cent of the domestic TV agreement and 20 percent of the worldwide income is worked out and split due to league position (merit payments) and the number of times a club featured on TV that season (facility fees).
While facility fees fluctuate regardless of league position (for example, Newcastle received an estimated £6m more than Aston Villa last season, despite finishing below them in the table), merit payments are worth an approximate £3m per position.
Out of the £3m, two thirds comes from the Premier League’s domestic TV deal while the rest comes from the worldwide TV contracts.
For a club like Aston Villa, who come into the final day in 14th but are still able to finish as high as 10th, it means their final Premier League position could be worth an additional £12m if results go their way.
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