UEFA Champions League Prize Money
Therefore, UEFA estimates that around €2.35 billion will be generated in the season 2016/17. However, it is also important to point out that UEFA deducted 12% from the central pot 12% which is around €282m for Admin as well as additional 8% or €199.7m for competition costs. This sum is used as solidarity payments to both clubs and national football associations.
From the remaining amount of €1.86 billion another 8% is set aside for European football and will remain with UEFA. The rest which is not in any way a small amount, €1.7187 billion to be correct, will be distributed among clubs which compete in both Champions League and Europa League. When it comes to specific numbers for each competition, in 2016/17 season €1.3189 billion will be paid for Champions League pot, while significantly less, precisely €399.8 million will be distributed among the teams playing Europa League.
Therefore, we can obviously conclude that the UEFA Champions League is by far the highest prize money paying competition in Europe. However, it may be interesting to point out that it is also the highest prize money paying competition in the world as well, which makes it in front of Football World Cup.
In comparison with the previous season, the season 2016/17 saw 10% increase. In 2015/16 season an amount of €1.257 billion was distributed among teams in Champions League from playoff stage to the winners.
When it comes to UEFA Champions League 2016-17 prize money fund distribution, there are some rules which should be followed. The total prize money pool, correctly €1.3189 billion is divided into two portions. Those are fixed amount and market pool.
Fixed amount is €761.9 million, and it is awarded according to how the teams´ success, which means to which stage the clubs went furthest. Furthermore, there are also performance related bonuses included. On the other hand, there is a market pool of €507 million. This represents UEFA’s TV income that is distributed among the clubs from the same league as well as the number of matches that is played by the particular team. Therefore it is not strange that the club which is the only representative of a certain country earns more than a winner of the Champions League.
Playoff Bonus has an amount €50 million which becomes distributed to 20 teams which participated in playoffs. This means that each playoff winner will receive €2m and each eliminated team will get €3 million.
Participation Bonus brings an amount of €12.7 million for each 32 teams which participate in the group stages.
Performance Bonus involves €1.5 million for every win and additional €500,000 for every draw during the group stage.
Round of 16 brings €6 million for every team out of final 16, while the quarterfinals bring €6.5 million each for the most successful eight teams.
Runner Ups will receive €11 million, while the winners will get €15.5 million.
When it comes to market pool distribution, teams that come from top four European Leagues are able to win more money than the teams which are not. The money is distributed according the proportional value of particular countries, leagues or their TV markets. The pool awarded to each country will be divided among the teams. Every league gets specific market pool money which is distributed according to the UEFA Ranking of European Leagues. As we already said, if there is only one team, from one country the club has the chance to get more money than Spanish clubs which, in this case, have to share the amount in three parts.
This was the case in the last season when Spanish clubs Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad all played in group stages. Therefore, the total market pool for Spain was shared between four teams. In this case, Barcelona received €24.6 million, Real Madrid €20 million, at the same time Atletico got €17 million while Real Sociedad got €8.5 million in market pool money.
On the other hand, Italian club Juventus profited from the competition and got massive €58.20 million because they were one out of two Italian representatives. AS Roma was knocked out in group stage which left Juventus with the huge portion.
